RotoFeedhttp://feed.informer.com/digests/5OVEQCRACH/feeder
The Ultimate Fantasy Baseball Feed, this feed aggregates the work of the top fantasy baseball bloggers and columnists available via RSS.Respective post owners and feed distributorsThu, 19 Apr 2018 13:53:44 +0000Feed Informer http://feed.informer.com/http://feeds.feedburner.com/rotofeed?format=skinhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/rotofeedhttps://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/987838372407279616/Bc8q7mrN_bigger.jpgTheRotoFeed.comrotofeedhttps://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with FeedlySubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleThe RotoFeed is a totally free RSS service that aggregates all the best fantasy baseball blogs, columns and podcasts into a single, real-time feed. Recommended by Wired magazine.Yankees To Acquire James Paxtonhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/qS959ovPk2E/yankees-to-acquire-james-paxton.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:1224102d-7a56-b3e9-8675-e5d52e1ee032Mon, 19 Nov 2018 22:37:44 +0000The Yankees have struck a deal to acquire lefty James Paxton from the Mariners, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield is among the three players coming to Seattle in return, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). This is the first major move of the winter,&#8230;The Yankees have struck a deal to acquire lefty James Paxton from the Mariners, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield is among the three players coming to Seattle in return, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).

This is the first major move of the winter, bringing a top-shelf starter to a New York club that has long been rumored to be seeking one — if not more. Meanwhile, the M’s have now kicked off a winter in which they’ll attempt to walk a tightrope act of staying competitive while enhancing their roster’s long-term outlook.

]]>James PaxtonJustus SheffieldNew York YankeesNewsstandSeattle MarinersTransactionsJeff Toddhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/yankees-to-acquire-james-paxton.htmlBrewers Finalize Coaching Staffhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/L3k4E_40ckM/brewers-chris-hook-pitching-coach-steve-karsay-bullpen-coach.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:bbba78a0-4357-a71a-6726-f522ff6ed045Mon, 19 Nov 2018 21:20:28 +0000The Brewers announced today that they&#8217;ve promoted Chris Hook from pitching coordinator to pitching coach, hired Steve Karsay away from the Indians organization to serve as the new bullpen coach, and hired Scott Barringer away from the Astros to serve as the new head athletic trainer. Milwaukee also formally announced the previously reported hiring of&#8230;The Brewers announced today that they’ve promoted Chris Hook from pitching coordinator to pitching coach, hired Steve Karsay away from the Indians organization to serve as the new bullpen coach, and hired Scott Barringer away from the Astros to serve as the new head athletic trainer. Milwaukee also formally announced the previously reported hiring of Andy Haines as hitting coach and announced that Jason Lane would reprise his role as assistant hitting coach.

Hook has been with the organization for more than a decade, primarily working as a pitching coach at the minor league level before spending the 2018 season as the organization’s pitching coordinator. The 50-year-old had an 11-year professional playing career, including 65 2/3 innings with the Giants in 1995-96. He’ll be plenty familiar with a number of the team’s homegrown arms, having worked with them along the way in their journey to the Majors.

“I think when you know players and how they think, you can move them quicker,” said Hook of that benefit (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy). “That’s the way I feel. Even though I don’t know all of these pitchers, I know a good bit of them, and I feel like they trust me. If we trust each other, you can do good things with people.”

The 46-year-old Karsay was a pitching coach in the Indians’ system for the past seven years, including a 2016-18 run as the pitching coach in Triple-A Columbus, where he worked with promising young arms like Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber, among others. Karsay collected 41 saves and posted a 4.01 ERA through 603 1/3 innings as a Major Leaguer from 1993-2006.

Barringer creates yet another opening the Astros need to fill after previous losing bullpen coach Doug White, hitting coach Dave Hudgens and assistant hitting coach Jeff Albert to other organizations (to say nothing of assistant GM Mike Elias heading to Baltimore as the new Orioles general manager). Barringer was the Astros’ assistant athletic trainer from 2017-18 and the organization’s minor league medical coordinator in 2016. Prior to that, he as a minor league athletic trainer with the Cubs and Diamondbacks for a combined five seasons.

We gave you the heads up last week – hopefully you listened. Lamar Jackson carried the ball 27 times for 117 rushing yards, completing 13 of 19 passes for 150 yards and an interception. 2017 Deshaun Watson numbers are more than a possibility at this point. Jackson needs to be 100% for his upcoming date with the Oakland Molasses Raiders. He’s a surefire QB1.

Cincinnati’s defense is a made-up fairy tale, just like McLovin’s stupid name – and because of that, Mayfield’s in a great spot to stay on the QB1/QB2 fringe. His ceiling hasn’t been as high as we would have hoped but his floor has been rock solid. New OC Freddie Kitchens has dialed up rookie-friendly gameplans that let Mayfield make safe, efficient throws play-in and play-out. He’ll continue to be carried by his Safety Blanket Squad of David Njoku, Jarvis Landry, and Duke Johnson Jr.

Eli posted an efficient outing against the paltry Bucs defense last week and he’s got a good shot to do so again in Week 12 against the Eagles. Philadelphia’s secondary has been decimated by injuries and opposing offenses are taking advantage of it by funneling touches to their receivers. With weapons like Beckham, Sterling, and Engram flying downfield, Eli should be a safe start as we round the corner to the playoff homestretch.

]]>A.J. PollockBryce HarperCraig KimbrelDallas KeuchelJ.A. HappManny MachadoMichael BrantleyNathan EovaldiPatrick CorbinYasmani GrandalTim Dierkeshttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/mlb-free-agent-picks.htmlWhy We Missed: Kurt Suzukihttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/AiQ1F8EziUo/
FanGraphs Fantasy Baseballurn:uuid:520c0595-3ab2-97eb-6ed1-8f3adaef72baMon, 19 Nov 2018 19:39:17 +0000Can the Nationals' new backstop surprise us for a third straight season?The Hot Stove Season has not really begun in earnest yet, but with the Nationals reaching an agreement with Kurt Suzuki on a two-year deal on Monday morning, we have our first fantasy-relevant player movement since the five-player swap between the Mariners and Rays back on Nov. 8. The move could bode well for Suzuki’s value in 2019, as he currently has less competition for playing time in Washington than he did in Atlanta. Reportedly, his deal will pay him $10 million over the two years, so it is conceivable that the Nationals could have the resources to dip back into the catcher market for more help.
The presence of Tyler Flowers in Atlanta probably has much to do with why we fantasy owners didn’t pay Suzuki much mind in drafts this past year. He was coming off a 2017 campaign in which he smashed a career-high 19 home runs, and his .283 batting average marked only the second time in his eight most recent seasons that he hit above .260. Even though Suzuki started only 71 games for the Braves that year, he finished ninth in Roto value among catchers, according to ESPN’s Player Rater. Despite all of that, Suzuki was typically selected outside of the top 250 players overall in NFBC and ESPN leagues. With he and Flowers slated to work as a tandem again in 2018, it seemed like a long shot that Suzuki would perform like a No. 1 fantasy catcher for a second straight season.

Yet he did. Suzuki matched his ninth-place ranking in Roto value, even though he experienced some regression, just as many owners were surely expecting. Despite receiving 79 more plate appearances in 2018 than he did in 2017, Suzuki hit only 12 home runs, and he merely tied his previous season’s total of 50 RBIs. Even as weak as the catcher position was this season, there were 11 other catchers who met or exceeded Suzuki’s total of a dozen homers, and 21 players at the position reached double digits in home runs. However, of those 21 catchers, only four — J.T. Realmuto, Wilson Ramos, Suzuki and Elias Diaz — batted at least .270.

Even if Suzuki plateaus in terms of power and run production, if he can come close to this season’s .271 batting average, he has a good chance to repeat as a top-10 catcher. That would appear to be a safe assumption, given that he has been consistent as a .270-plus hitter since switching to an Axe Bat in June 2016, when he was still with the Twins. In terms of power, his 2017 season was an outlier, but for more than two-and-a-half seasons, his HR/FB ratio has been far better than the sub-5.0 percent marks that he established as a norm beginning in 2012. Suzuki has also hewed closely to his career strikeout rate of 11.7 percent.

Kurt Suzuki Stats, June 2016-Sept. 2018

Time Period

Avg

K%

Iso

HR/FB

June-Sept. 2016

0.276

11.8%

0.171

8.0%

2017

0.283

12.6%

0.254

17.1%

2018

0.271

11.1%

0.173

9.4%

If we undervalued Suzuki going into 2018 due to concerns about playing time and his ability to hit for power, we should have more confidence in him as we approach 2019. Unless the Nationals make another move to address their catching situation, Suzuki has little to fear from Pedro Severino, Spencer Kieboom and Raudy Read as threats to his playing time. If he continues to be as durable as he has been over the years, he could exceed 400 plate appearances for the first time since 2015.

While Suzuki could see some slight erosion to his power numbers, as he is firmly in the decline phase of his career chronologically, there is no reason to think he can’t hit at least 10 homers. He is moving to a new home park (Nationals Park) that has been more amenable to home runs for right-handed hitters than SunTrust Park has been. Also, Suzuki may have been robbed of a couple of homers in 2018. According to xStats, his xHR for this season was 14.2, and his high drive and flyball rates were nearly identical to the ones he put up in 2017. It is still probably best to project Suzuki for 10-to-12 home runs, but in considering the range of possible outcomes, it is not unreasonable to think he just might rebound to the 14-to-16 range.

Steamer projects Suzuki to lose playing (304 plate appearances) and to strike out at his highest rate in seven years (13.6 percent). That leaves him with a projection of a .256 batting average and nine home runs. Given his new situation with the Nationals, expectations could be a little higher than those reflected in that projection. If they aren’t, Suzuki could be one of the biggest catching bargains for a third season in a row.

]]>HittersBravesCatchersfantasy baseballFantasy baseball catchersKurt SuzukiNationalsAl Melchiorhttps://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/why-we-missed-kurt-suzuki/Minor MLB Transactions: 11/19/18http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/7niAqiud6eM/cardinals-sign-mike-hauschild-hunter-cervenka.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:307f2662-9ad4-ea09-e501-ab6b58cfcb83Mon, 19 Nov 2018 18:45:21 +0000Here are Monday&#8217;s minor moves from around the game&#8230; The Cardinals announced a slate of minor league signings, including right-hander Mike Hauschild, left-hander Hunter Cervenka, catcher Joe Hudson, catcher Jose Godoy and first baseman/outfielder Rangel Ravelo. Each received an invitation to Major League Spring Training. St. Louis also announced previously reported Spring Training invites for&#8230;Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the game…

The Cardinals announced a slate of minor league signings, including right-hander Mike Hauschild, left-hander Hunter Cervenka, catcher Joe Hudson, catcher Jose Godoy and first baseman/outfielder Rangel Ravelo. Each received an invitation to Major League Spring Training. St. Louis also announced previously reported Spring Training invites for Tommy Layne and Williams Perez, as well as minor league deals without Spring Training invites for righties Harold Arauz and Ramon Santos. Hauschild, 29 in January, has been hit hard in 16 1/3 MLB innings but has a career 4.02 ERA with 7.9 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in 437 Triple-A innings (all as a starter). Cervenka posted a 3.53 ERA in 43 1/3 innings between the Braves and Marlins back in 2016 but showed serious control problems along the way and has scarcely pitched in the Majors since. Hudson,27, made a brief big league debut with the Angels in September after a quality showing between their Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. The 24-year-old Godoy and 26-year-old Ravelo are returning to the Cardinals organization. Godoy showed some solid OBP skills in High-A, while Ravelo raked at a .308/.392/.487 pace in 399 PAs with Memphis in his first season with the organization.

The Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball announced that they’ve signed left-hander Kyle Regnault for the 2019 season (link via the Japan Times). Soon to turn 30, Regnault spent his first three professional seasons pitching in indy ball before joining the Mets in 2015. All of his work with affiliated clubs has come in the Mets’ system, and Regnault has a 4.10 ERA with a 130-to-47 K/BB ratio in 109 2/3 innings of Triple-A work. In his first season overseas, Regnault will secure a $400K base salary with the opportunity to earn more via incentives, as well as a $125K signing bonus (hat tip to Yakyudb.com). For a lefty that was on the indy circuit just four years ago, that’s a nice chunk of guaranteed money to bring home, and continued success in NPB would obviously lead to greater earning power.

]]>Hunter CervenkaJoe HudsonJose GodoyKyle RegnaultMike HauschildNew York MetsRangel RaveloSt. Louis CardinalsTransactionsSteve Adamshttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/cardinals-sign-mike-hauschild-hunter-cervenka.html2019 xADP, New and Improvedhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/DyCa-Tl7ecI/
FanGraphs Fantasy Baseballurn:uuid:e160df0a-d667-e8f3-01ba-2e61e15a6de0Mon, 19 Nov 2018 17:15:00 +0000Alex improves his predicted ADP (xADP) model and updates his 2019 values.About a month ago, I published a post that predicted 2019 ADP (“xADP”) values using eight years’ worth of average draft position (ADP) data from the National Fantasy Baseball Championship (NFBC) and end-of-season (EOS) values from Razzball. The model was pretty good — it explained nearly 60 percent of the data’s variance (adjusted r2 = 0.59), which is pretty dang good. It felt unfulfilled, though; it accounted for some players but not others — namely, breakout rookies who were completely off the radar the previous season and top prospects who had yet to debut.

I took some time (really, a lot of time) to clean up my data to see how much it would improve my model, if at all:

Originally, my data set did not account for players who were not drafted (aka had no ADP value) but made an impact in 2018 (think Juan Soto). Conversely, my data did account for players who were drafted but made no impact in 2018 (think, uh, Troy Tulowitzki, I guess). It was kind of like addressing a Type I error but ignoring a Type II error (or the other way around? I don’t know). I took painstaking care to fill in these holes.

I took equally painstaking care to ensure all player names were consistent — no “Nick Castellanos”/”Nicholas Castellanos” mismatches that might pollute the analysis. Odds are, there are a couple of players I missed, but having spent hours poring over the data, I feel confident that the issue is no longer pervasive.

I added ages! They make a small impact, most meaningful to players at the extremes, such as the very young (think Ronald Acuna) and the very old (think Nelson Cruz).

Lastly, a theoretical and methodological adjustment: I forced negative ADP values to $0. I wanted the model to reflect an actual draft, in which players are never bought at auction for negative dollars — rather, their values converge on zero. It’s important to note here that a player can still end the season with negative value based on the concept of replacement level. Accordingly, only negative ADP values, and not negative EOS values, were forced zero.

Fortunately, the extra work was worth it: the model boasts an adjusted r2 of 0.75 (with ages; 0.73 without). That’s a massive improvement, and it can be attributed almost entirely to the slight (but profound) change in the model specification.

The model still has its shortcomings. It doesn’t know who the top prospects are, who won and lost the closer role last year, or which seasons were shortened by injury or delayed call-ups. The most notable discrepancies will be among players who fit the latter-most category (shortened season by delayed call-up); Acuna and Ozzie Albies rank 35th and 41st, respectively, which is probably a bit low but not obscenely so. On the other hand, Walker Buehler and Adalberto Mondesi are ranked 165th and 187th, and I’ll bet the house that they each go at least 100 picks earlier.

Without further adieu, here’s an updated top 500. I’ll probably rely on it gently during these early NFBC Draft Champions and Fantrax best ball drafts as well as while navigating offseason ottoneu trades. The table is sortable — just click the column headers. Go crazy!

10:24am: The Nationals have agreed to a two-year contract with free-agent catcher Kurt Suzuki, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (via Twitter). The deal is pending a physical. Suzuki is represented by the MVP Sports Group.

Long a sturdy option, the veteran Suzuki took his offensive game to new heights over the past couple of seasons, hitting at a .276/.341/.485 clip with 31 homers over the course of 697 plate appearances while sharing time with Tyler Flowers.

Unlike many players who experience a significant jump in power production, the 35-year-old Suzuki hasn’t simply “sold out” in terms of sacrificing his typically excellent contact rate for some additional pop. He’s fanned at just an 11.8 percent clip over the past two years — the ninth-lowest among all MLB hitters in that time (min. 600 plate appearances). Suzuki upped his hard-hit rate and homer-to-fly-ball ratio in significant fashion and will look to carry that improved production over to a return stint with the Nationals, for whom he played in 2012-13.

In Suzuki, the Nats will likely find an offensive upgrade over the production (or lack thereof) that they received from Matt Wieters over a previous two-year deal of his own. Getting some help behind the plate was imperative for the Nats, who saw Wieters and a slew of backup options combine to bat just .211/.290/.319 through 1259 plate appearances in 2017-18. Even with some regression in his bat — Nationals Park, notably, is not as hitter-friendly as SunTrust Park — Suzuki should be able to provide an uptick in offensive output at the position.

Defensively, Suzuki hasn’t generated the same level of results. His throwing improved with the Braves after a poor two-year stretch with Minnesota in that regard, but Suzuki’s 21.3 percent caught-stealing rate (25-for-117) over the past two seasons still checks in well below the league average of about 27.5 percent. To Suzuki’s credit, Baseball Prospectus has graded him among the best in the game at blocking pitches in the dirt over the past two seasons, but B-Pro has also rated his framing skills to be below-average in each season dating back to 2008.

It’s not yet clear if Suzuki will represent the Nationals’ sole addition at catcher. Solid as his bat was with the Braves, Suzuki averaged 85 games caught between the two seasons and hasn’t topped 100 games behind the dish since serving as the Twins’ primary backstop in 2015. Pedro Severino, Spencer Kieboom and Raudy Read represent the organization’s other three catching options on 40-man roster, and while any could conceivably serve as a backup to Suzuki, none has experienced big league success to date. Suzuki’s excellent production in 2017-18 should assure him of a prominent role in the Washington lineup, but the rest of the outfit still looks uncertain.

The addition of Suzuki is the third notable pickup in what has been an active offseason for Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and his front office. The Nats have already acquired righty Kyle Barracough from the Marlins in exchange for international bonus allotments, and Washington also rolled the dice on a one-year deal with former Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal, who’ll be returning from Tommy John surgery in 2019. Of course, the biggest question surrounding the Nats will be whether they retain former NL MVP Bryce Harper in free agency or if they let him sign with another organization. Certainly, the money promised to Suzuki on this new contract won’t stand as any real impediment to those efforts, but the Nats have holes to fill in the rotation and possibly at second base, as well.

As for the Braves, they won’t receive compensation for the loss of Suzuki, and they’ll now have to watch the former fan and clubhouse favorite suit up for one of their top division rivals. Atlanta already extended Flowers through the 2019 season, but it seems quite likely that they’ll be adding a catcher of some note to step up and handle a significant chunk — if not the vast majority — of playing time for the 2019 season.

]]>Kurt SuzukiNewsstandTransactionsWashington NationalsSteve Adamshttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/nationals-sign-kurt-suzuki.htmlHalf Season Heroes: Lourdes Gurriel Jr.http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/ZfLMdSepBio/
FanGraphs Fantasy Baseballurn:uuid:292eb41d-20ac-bc0f-f576-87e1f1fe0a70Mon, 19 Nov 2018 16:41:53 +0000Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s 2018 was a season of extremes. After being called up on April 20th, he struggled in his first taste of major league action – slashing .206/.229/.309 with a 43 wRC+ in 70 plate appearances before being sent to triple-A, Buffalo. After being re-called in July, Gurriel went on an absolute tear – [&#8230;]Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s 2018 was a season of extremes. After being called up on April 20th, he struggled in his first taste of major league action – slashing .206/.229/.309 with a 43 wRC+ in 70 plate appearances before being sent to triple-A, Buffalo. After being re-called in July, Gurriel went on an absolute tear – slashing .423/.438/.648 with a 200 wRC+. Unsurprisingly, his BABIP was .456 during the month of July. Incredibly, Gurriel walked only once during his epic hot streak (and missed a week in the middle of the month with a concussion). On July 29th, Gurriel sprained his left ankle and spent most of August on the disabled list. Upon his return, he struggled once again, posting a .226/.270/.368 slash line with 4 home runs and a 69 wRC+.

Overall, the 25-year-old rookie finished 2018 hitting .281/.309/.446 with 11 home runs and a 103 wRC+ in 263 plate appearances.

Based on his rookie season, Gurriel looks to be a player that does some things very well and some things very poorly.

Lourdes hits the ball hard. Per Baseball Savant, his average exit velocity (90.3 mph) is well above the league mean. 45.6 percent of his batted balls were struck at over 95 mph – a mark that puts him inside the top ten percent in baseball (minimum 250 at bats) and ahead of players like Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper and Matt Carpenter. Gurriel makes little soft contact (15.5 percent) and is very good at avoiding infield fly balls (3.2 percent).

Gurriel also displayed more power in 2018 – hitting 18 home runs over three levels (AA, AAA and MLB) after hitting just 5 in 2017 – both truncated seasons, as he missed significant time with injuries.

One reason that Gurriel is able to make so much hard contact is his ability to hit the fastball. Gurriel slugged .575 with 7 home runs and a .400 wOBA against fastballs and cutters this season. His ability to handle the fastball is likely part of the reason Gurriel is so aggressive – he swung at 37.8 percent of first pitches in his rookie season.

While Gurriel is able to crush fastballs, he struggles against offspeed and breaking pitches.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. vs. Pitch Types

AVG

SLG

Whiff%

Fastball

0.328

0.541

14.3

Breaking

0.232

0.329

35.1

Offspeed

0.244

0.400

43.2

SOURCE: baseballsavant.com

In addition to not being able to handle anything with a wrinkle, Gurriel’s plate approach will likely have to improve if he’s going to see success as a major league hitter. He rarely walks – his 3.4% walk rate was seventh worst among all players with at least 250 plate appearances. His minor league numbers were not much better – he posted a .297 OBP over two seasons in the Blue Jays’ organization.

Since 2000, only eight players have produced a wRC+ of 110 or higher with a walk rate below 4 percent and a strikeout rate above 20 percent. Of those eight players, no one has posted at least a 110 wRC+ more than once. Even in 2018, the Javier Baez plate approach is the exception rather than the rule.

It is worth remembering that Gurriel Jr. is still only 25. He posted a .362 OBP in six years of play in the Cuban National Series and was able to keep his strikeout rate below 17 percent until he reached triple-A partway through his 2018 season. If his power growth is real, he could posses the upside of someone like Miguel Andujar with slightly less home run potential.

Gurriel is eligible at second base and shortstop, and as of right now, will enter the 2019 season competing for at-bats in the Blue Jays’ middle infield. Everything the team has said suggests they want to give Gurriel an opportunity to establish himself, but even after the trade of Aledmys Diaz, he could still be battling for playing time with Troy Tulowitzki, Brandon Drury, Devon Travis and (possibly) Richard Urena. The Jays also have one of baseball’s best prospects in shortstop Bo Bichette, who could be factoring into the playing time mix sooner rather than later as well.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will need to work on his plate discipline and learn to hit something other than a fastball if he’s going to see sustained success in the majors. But with his ability to hit the ball hard and indications in his minor league numbers that improvements are possible, Gurriel is an intriguing player heading into 2019. Just make sure to keep a close eye out for skills improvement and a path to playing time.

]]>UncategorizedNick Dikahttps://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/half-season-heroes-lourdes-gurriel-jr/Indians Acquire Chih-Wei Hu From Rayshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/XsBk0hYPN5E/rays-trade-chih-wei-hu-indians.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:bbc11a35-2ce6-dab3-b533-1dd40d91e265Mon, 19 Nov 2018 15:34:18 +0000The Indians announced that they&#8217;ve acquired right-hander Chih-Wei Hu from the Rays in exchange for minor league infielder Gionti Turner. The 25-year-old Hu brings Cleveland&#8217;s 40-man roster count to 36 players, while the deal gives the Rays organization some flexibility in advance of tomorrow&#8217;s deadline to protect additional players from the Rule 5 Draft. More&#8230;The Indians announced that they’ve acquired right-hander Chih-Wei Hu from the Rays in exchange for minor league infielder Gionti Turner. The 25-year-old Hu brings Cleveland’s 40-man roster count to 36 players, while the deal gives the Rays organization some flexibility in advance of tomorrow’s deadline to protect additional players from the Rule 5 Draft.

The fantasy playoffs are just around the corner and that means it’s time to buckle down and NAIL all the waiver wire claims you’re about to put in. Can’t be wasting claims on guys who are going to sit on your bench and give you nothing just as the most important games of the season start.

If you have a waiver wire conundrum and want some help trying to solve it, just leave it in the comments and I’ll give you my thoughts, feelings and feedback. So fire away! Hit me with your deepest, darkest, most difficult waiver wire conundrums in the comments.

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Every week there are a few players who come out of nowhere to have big games. There are also a few big names players who come out and have terrible games. Basically, there are always a few players each week that help no one because either they weren’t on anyone’s team, or they were on everyone’s team and just sucked it up.

We on the RB1 Podcast—we being myself, Clark Barnes and Jordan Smith—like to track these performances and pick a “winner” each week. This way, at the end of the year we can have a big celebration for the most worthless, least helpful player of the year! It’s truly an honor. Shoutout to the entire Jets defense who won last week’s award failing to capitalize on playing the Bills.

Make sure to listen to tomorrow’s podcast to hear who wins this most honorable award for this week.

]]>Pete Rogershttps://www.faketeams.com/2018/11/19/18102715/whose-week-11-performance-was-the-least-helpfulAstros Reportedly Make Offer To Charlie Mortonhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/S0Ix8RSApOE/astros-rumors-charlie-morton-offer.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:a00bc78b-3344-fbe6-9b1e-f93a92e8725aMon, 19 Nov 2018 15:17:16 +0000The Astros have made an initial offer to bring right-hander Charlie Morton back to Houston, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). The dollar amount of the reported offer is yet unclear, though Nightengale does specify that it&#8217;s a one-year contract with an option for a second year. Vague as the terms may still&#8230;The Astros have made an initial offer to bring right-hander Charlie Morton back to Houston, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). The dollar amount of the reported offer is yet unclear, though Nightengale does specify that it’s a one-year contract with an option for a second year.

Vague as the terms may still be, it seems reasonable to expect that the total value of the pact of for less than $17.9MM. Houston surprisingly declined to make a qualifying offer at that rate to Morton, so it’d be curious to see them turn around and offer Morton anything north of that sum.

Morton, who turned 35 last week, at one point voiced uncertainty as to whether he planned to continue his playing career beyond the 2018 campaign, but he recently stated that he planned to continue pitching and would “love” to return to the Astros. However, he’s also made clear that he doesn’t plan to keep playing into his late 30s, citing a desire to spend time with his growing family. To that end, Morton suggested to The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan back in April that proximity to his wife’s family in Delaware could be a factor, were he to consider teams outside of Houston. The Phillies and Nationals would most closely meet that criteria.

Whether Morton wants to pitch another two years isn’t certain, but there’s little doubt that he should be able to find a strong multi-year offer on the open market after rapidly elevating his status upon signing with the Astros. Morton’s two-year, $14MM with Houston proved to be a remarkable bargain, as the righty made 55 starts in 2017-18 and pitched to an excellent 3.36 ERA with 10.4 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 0.92 HR/9 and a 49.6 percent ground-ball rate. Perhaps, given the uncertainty about how long he wants to continue his career, a one-year pact with a substantial value and some form of vesting or player option would hold appeal to Morton. However, a guaranteed two-year deal should materialize in free agency if he wishes to lock himself into another couple of years.

Dustin Brown (35% owned). On the top line with Alex Iafallo and Anze Kopitar, he will be streaky but he has 2 goals and 2 assists in his last five games but he will add the intangibles: 2 short handed points, +1 and 11 hits.

Now is when the waiver wire starts becoming tough. We’re deep into November and the likelihood that you find yourself a quality, reliable starter on waivers is going to be increasingly rare from here on out (barring any major injuries). From this point on, it’s going to be about finding the best matchups to exploit and making sure the players on your bench are still worth rostering. It’s time to be hyperactive in free agency.

Of course, now that I’ve said all that, we might just have stumbled upon a couple of quality starters this week, looking at you Lamar Jackson! THE TRUTH HAS ARRIVED! There were plenty of other players this week who showed themselves to be very strong fantasy pickups who could mean the difference between a championship and having to do stand up at an open mic show in a random Boston bar for five minutes (that’s my leagues’ punishment).

Here are the players you should be instantly adding to your fantasy team (percent owned in Yahoo leagues).

Adams was a name on a lot of people’s radars heading into Week 11 given the fact that the Eagles have no healthy backs and he’s been fairly productive in prior weeks. I tempered my expectations as the Saints actually have the best run defense in the league and I was fully expecting this game to get out of hand fast for the Eagles, requiring them to pass at every opportunity. That second part I was right on. Adams only have seven carries but still managed to gain 53 yards (7.6 yards per carry) and a touchdown. He also added three catches for 19 yards. The game script next week against the Giants should allow for more running plays and hopefully that’ll mean more Adams.

SEXY REXY IS BACK BABY! He hasn’t played since Week 3 and the Patriots’ backfield is a notorious hellscape of fantasy uncertainty, but this was a guy I said would finish a top 10 fantasy back and score 15 total touchdowns this year. Obviously that’s not going to happen but given the struggles the Patriots’ offense had heading into the bye (and Sony Michel’s injuries), I wouldn’t be surprised to see them start involving Burkhead a little more in the coming weeks.

Ditto everything I said about Burkhead. Except for the top 10 back and 15 total touchdowns. That’s just for Burkhead. Foreman practiced for the first time last week and his return to the field should be any day now. It’s up in the air exactly what his role will be in Houston upon his return, but it’s never a bad idea to stash a man who finished eighth in Heisman voting two years ago.

This Gus Edwards and I have already gotten off on rocky footing after he took the big game that I said Alex Collins was going to have Sunday. He finished with 115 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown against the helpless Bengals’ defense. The Ravens’ backfield is starting to become an unpredictable mess with not only Collins and this guy Gus back there, but also Buck Allen AND Ty Montgomery who saw no action Sunday. I think the backfield is still Collins’s but you can’t ignore 17 carries from an undrafted rookie named Gus. I’m not bitter.

Moore has been a serviceable flex for most of the year but Sunday he broke out in a big way and showed exactly why the Panthers drafted him. He caught seven balls on eight targets for 157 yards and a touchdown. If Moore is available in your league, get him now. He has a tougher matchup against the Seahawks this week, but after that, he’ll face the Buccaneers, Browns, Saints, Falcons, and Saints again. I’d expect we start seeing a lot more statlines like this from Moore moving forward. And I promise he won’t be on my bench when he does. I’m still not bitter.

I feel like I’ve written about Kirk and Smith in every single waiver wire post I’ve done so I’ve decided to just lump them into the same paragraph and give them an awesome nickname: The Usuals. But seriously, both these guys need to be owned in more leagues. Kirk posted 77 yards and a touch on three catches while Smith had a HUGE game against the Eagles, catching 10 balls on THIRTEEN TARGETS for 157 and a touch. Kirk is sure to continue to be a vital part of the Cardinals’ offense as they start getting things back on track while Smith has proven himself to be a legit WR2 in the Saints’ offense. Both are worth the add (but especially Smith).

This is just another polite reminder that in his first game with Matt Barkley under center, Jones saw 11 targets and had eight catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. Will he replicate that this week against the Jaguars? Probably not. But my guess is we’ll see Barkley again turn to Jones as his number one receiver and that’ll lead to at least decent fantasy outputs. Plus after that, Jones faces the Dolphins, Jets again, Lions and Patriots, all of whom have given up big games to receivers.

You might be asking yourself, who is this man? Who is this Marcell Ateman on the Oakland Raiders and why should be be on my fantasy team? Well, outside of his four catch, 50 yard performance against the Cardinals Sunday, Ateman might be the only standing receiver in Oakland come this weekend. Brandon LaFell is out now with an achilles injury leaving just Ateman and Seth Roberts to catch passes from Derek Carr. Ateman is a 6-foot-4, 220 pound receiver who could start becoming a nice red zone target for the Raiders. Stash him, see what happens.

The carousel wheel that is the Bucs’ quarterback room has seemingly turned again, meaning it’ll be Jameis Winston under center next week. If that’s remains true, then it’s time to own his favorite red zone target Cameron Brate. Also, O.J. Howard suffered an ankle injury Sunday and might be limited moving forward. Snag Brate where you can.

]]>Pete Rogershttps://www.faketeams.com/2018/11/19/18102477/top-fantasy-football-waiver-wire-adds-for-week-122019 Preseason Rankings: Top 10 Second Basemen: Intriguing Names Emerge At A Suddenly Deep Positionhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/QsBqziLTfNw/
Rotoprofessorurn:uuid:3c1a04a7-7262-dda1-854e-fa9b483ec2ffMon, 19 Nov 2018 11:30:27 +0000by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor) As we said with our early first base rankings, here are a few things to keep in mind: We are still extremely early in the process so player movement, among other factors, will have an impact on these rankingsby Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

As we said with our early first base rankings, here are a few things to keep in mind:

We are still extremely early in the process so player movement, among other factors, will have an impact on these rankings as we get closer to the start of the season

Just because a player his ranked #3 doesn’t mean you should draft him in that spot. In most cases you shouldn’t have to, it just shows the potential value they hold

These rankings are based on our projections and expected production for 2019

Second base was once viewed as a shallow position, though that’s no longer the case. Just looking at the names who just missed these rankings shows that there is going to be value even late in your draft, it’s just a matter of identifying who the right target is. Let’s take a look at how things currently look:

Entering last season seeing Rougned Odor in the Top 5 wouldn’t have come as a surprise, though a slow start led to questions about his upside. He posted a strong second half (.266 with 12 HR and 39 RBI) and showed a significant improvement in his ability to make consistent contact (his SwStr% dropped from 12.9% to 10.4%, showing improvement against all types of pitches). There’s never been a question about his power and speed, with a 30/15 season not out of the question. He and Gleyber Torres have extremely similar projections for 2019 and it wouldn’t be surprising if Odor ultimately outproduces him, though for now he’s going to come in behind him on our rankings.

We’ve all heard about the potential of Yoan Moncada, and while he has yet to live up to it we could finally be at the tipping point. He showed an improved approach as the season progressed (11.8% SwStr%, 22.5% O-Swing% in the second half), and that should lead to a better strikeout rate. Even if he just gets things down into the 27-28% range, with his speed and ability to hit the ball hard we are talking about the potential to hit .260 to go along with 20/20 ability. Don’t make the mistake of writing him off now.

We recently took an in-depth look at Scooter Gennett, trying to determine if he was for real or if he was destined to disappoint. Make sure to check that out by clicking here.

Where Daniel Murphy, Brian Dozier and D.J. LeMahieu land via free agency will ultimately determine their spot on these rankings. While Dozier and LeMahieu fell just short, if they land in ideal situations it wouldn’t be surprising to see them find their way into the mix.

Others who just missed are Dee Gordon and Robinson Cano, both of which could easily jump right behind Shaw on the rankings depending on how the offseason progresses.

]]>RankingsRotoprofessorhttp://rotoprofessor.com/baseball/?p=37577Keston Hiura, 2019 Fantasy Outlookhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/Jlymggj1ows/
Fantasy Baseball Blog at Razzball.comurn:uuid:59c1661c-eead-bad3-b967-a075d8f670aaMon, 19 Nov 2018 08:01:12 +0000One scout said this offseason at the Arizona Fall League, "We all talk about the bat of Vladdy, with obvious reason, but outside of Vladdy, I'd call <strong>Keston Hiura</strong> the purest power bat I saw out in Arizona. He's just a special, special kid." The scout continued, "Have you seen my chew?" turning his lip inside out, "Ah, there it is," then after a pause, "I'm big league, baby!" Keston Hiura had an elbow injury while playing for the Fightin' Licorices at UC Irvine. The Licorices used him at DH, but obviously that won't be an option with the Brewers, unless Selig moves them back to the AL like he moves his toupee back when there's wind coming from behind him. News says Hiura's elbow is fine, and he should be able to play 2nd base as soon as Ape One. (Ape One is what I call April 1st). If, Keston is, however, er, um, ya know, blocked at 2nd base by Jonathan Schoop, doesn't matter if he's ready. The Brewers barely played Schoop after he was traded to Milwaukee and they don't seem at all committed to him, so Hiura could win the job out of Spring Training and Schoop acts as a utility man. Or is simply non-tendered (deadline in November 30th) or traded. Either way, it does not seem like Hiura is far off while being far out. (Play on words points!) Anyway, what can we expect from Keston Hiura for 2019 fantasy baseball?<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rotofeed/~4/Jlymggj1ows" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>2019 Fantasy Baseball RookiesKeston HiuraGreyhttps://razzball.com/keston-hiura-2019-fantasy-outlook/Offseason Outlook: San Francisco Giantshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/3tFeRTBMep0/offseason-outlook-san-francisco-giants-9.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:882010ef-1388-bb95-5be2-d7b2617f1649Mon, 19 Nov 2018 05:05:47 +0000MLBTR is publishing Offseason Outlooks for all 30 teams. Click here to read the other entries in this series. The Giants reassigned general manager and longtime front office fixture Bobby Evans in order to bring some fresh ideas into the mix after two straight disappointing seasons. Now, newly-hired president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi faces&#8230;MLBTR is publishing Offseason Outlooks for all 30 teams. Click here to read the other entries in this series.

The Giants reassigned general manager and longtime front office fixture Bobby Evans in order to bring some fresh ideas into the mix after two straight disappointing seasons. Now, newly-hired president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi faces a tall order in streamlining an expensive, veteran-heavy, underachieving roster and helping guide the Giants back to contention.

The top eight names in the “guaranteed contracts” section (everyone except Tony Watson and Pablo Sandoval) are slated to earn approximately $135.84MM in 2019, coming off a season in which the octet generated a combined 8.3 fWAR. That’s a lower total fWAR than Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, and Jacob deGrom produced as individuals in 2018, which is indicative of the troubling situation in which San Francisco finds itself heading into this new season. Between homegrown names that haven’t been producing and high-priced acquisitions that range from underwhelming to disastrous, the Giants simply don’t know what to expect going forward from most of the biggest names on their roster.

Into this situation comes Zaidi, who brings more of an analytically-minded approach to the Giants’ more traditionally “old-school” front office. Zaidi has experience finding efficiencies while working with payrolls both small (from his time in the Athletics’ front office) and large (as the Dodgers’ GM). Ideally, the Giants would love to see Zaidi replicate what he did in Los Angeles alongside president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman — cut tens of millions in salary while still reaching the postseason every year. The Dodgers went from touching the $300MM mark in payroll at the start of Zaidi’s tenure to getting under the luxury tax threshold this past season.

Unlike with the Dodgers, however, Zaidi inherits a Giants team that doesn’t have many polished prospects ready to step into regular roles. And, while the Dodgers had their share of underperforming big contracts, injury questions weren’t quite as prevalent as they are for the Giants’ priciest assets heading into 2019.

Johnny Cueto, for instance, almost surely won’t pitch next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August. Hip surgery could keep Buster Posey from the Opening Day lineup. Brandon Belt battled knee problems down the stretch and has a lengthy injury history. Jeff Samardzija missed much of 2018 with shoulder issues, and Mark Melancon’s two years in San Francisco have been punctuated by multiple trips to the disabled list. Brandon Crawford dealt with nagging knee problems last year, though he also simply hasn’t hit as much over the last two years as he did from 2014-16.

Madison Bumgarner has had his own share of DL time over the past two seasons, which was certainly one reason why his numbers (3.29 ERA, 7.9 K/9, 3.33 K/BB rate over 240 2/3 IP) were a step back from his usual ace standards. That said, Bumgarner is still easily the most intriguing trade chip/extension candidate the Giants have, and what the team decides to do with the southpaw this offseason may quite possibly determine their approach for the rest of the winter.

If Bumgarner is re-signed to another extension, the Giants will add to their ledger of long-term deals and perhaps signal that they’re aiming to get back into contention right away. A Bumgarner trade, however, could lead one of two scenarios. First, the Giants could approach 2019 as a bit of a mini-rebuild, to add young talent and clear some money in order to make a renewed push for 2020. Secondly, the Giants could deal Bumgarner as part of a rebuild on the fly, adding some MLB-ready pieces that would help them fill some holes immediately.

This is complete speculation on my part, and admittedly dealing Bumgarner without getting at least one blue-chip prospect in return would be a bit of a waste. But, the Giants could explore moving Bumgarner along with either Belt or Evan Longoria in the same deal, accepting only a moderate return of either mid-range prospects, or perhaps a big league player who could help the Giants at another position (such as maybe a third baseman to replace Longoria). The Giants are reportedly looking to move Longoria, who struggled in his first season outside of Tampa Bay and is still owed over $73MM through 2022. As for Belt, he was the most productive of the Giants’ long-term assets, though dealing him would free up first base for some combination of other possibilities: giving a look to prospect Chris Shaw, Posey splitting time between first and catcher, or targeting a potentially underpriced asset in free agency or trade. Both Belt and Bumgarner have partial no-trade clauses that allow them to block deals to 10 and eight teams, respectively, so it could be a bit tricky finding a willing trade partner for this scenario who isn’t on either player’s no-trade list.

Such a deal would give San Francisco more flexibility with both roster construction and the payroll. After they (barely) ducked under the Competitive Balance Tax threshold last season, the Giants reset their luxury penalization to zero, and they’ll pay only a first-timer minimum penalty should they surpass the $206MM payroll limit. So while the team doesn’t necessarily face any huge restraints in regards to spending, getting one big contract off the books is probably a logical step if the team is preparing to make another high-priced addition.

Signing Bryce Harper, of course, would be the biggest such move the Giants could make, though early reports have suggested the club isn’t going to be a major suitor for the 26-year-old free agent. San Francisco has the resources and the ownership track record to pursue just about any free agent, or to take on a big contract from another team in a trade, though it remains to seen if the Giants will be as aggressive in this regard under Zaidi as they were under the Brian Sabean/Bobby Evans regime.

If we’re mentioning Harper, it’s only fitting that we also at least throw Manny Machado’s name out there. While Zaidi just a few months removed from bringing Machado to the Dodgers in a trade, a Machado/Giants connection seems unlikely at best. To make room for Machado at third base or shortstop, San Francisco would have to move either Longoria or Crawford, and neither player has much in the way of immediate trade value thanks to their salaries and lackluster 2018 seasons (plus, Crawford’s contract grants him full no-trade protection). Eating money to facilitate a Longoria/Crawford trade and also paying $350MM+ for Machado doesn’t seem like a very realistic proposition.

The two corner outfield positions and second base are the most pressing areas of need around the diamond for the Giants. Barring trades, the other spots will be covered by Longoria at third base, Crawford at shortstop, Belt at first base, defensively-gifted youngster Steven Duggar in center field, and Posey receiving the bulk of playing time behind the plate (while also getting some rest games as a first baseman). A reunion with veteran backup catcher Nick Hundley has been mentioned as a likely possibility while Posey is on the mend, with youngster Aramis Garcia also in the mix.

Austin Slater, Mac Williamson, Gorkys Hernandez (if he isn’t non-tendered), utilityman Alen Hanson, and Shaw are in the mix for bench duty for perhaps a share of a platoon in left or right field. For at least one of the two outfield positions, however, the Giants will surely add an established everyday player, either on the trade front or in free agency. If a record-setting contract for Harper is too rich for the Giants’ blood, other free agent options include Michael Brantley or old friend Andrew McCutchen. A.J. Pollock is a center fielder by trade, though if he is willing to consider a position change, he and Duggar would be a great defensive pairing in AT&T Park’s expansive outfield (or Pollock could play center himself if Duggar isn’t ready for everyday action).

Marwin Gonzalez’s versatility makes him a good fit on most teams, though he’d be particularly useful to the Giants rotating between the corner outfield spots and second base. Joe Panik was a replacement-level player (0.1 fWAR) last season, and considering his lack of power, the downturn in his defensive metrics, and injury history — not to mention the glut of options on the second-base market — San Francisco could simply non-tender Panik and seek out a more reliable, cost-efficient, and/or controllable option. Jed Lowrie might be an interesting player to consider in this regard, as a familiar name to Zaidi from their time in Oakland and a quality player who wouldn’t require too lengthy a contract given his age (35 in April).

At a projected $4.2MM in arbitration, Panik isn’t a bank-breaker to retain, though the Giants could get themselves some extra cover at second base with a multi-position addition like Gonzalez. Not to say that the next Max Muncy or Chris Taylor is awaiting the Gian]]>

This is something we’ve done dating back to 2011, but we took the last few years off due to technical challenges. Our readers ask me about it regularly. Then today I saw that our friends at FanGraphs used Google Forms for a simple free agent contest, and I decided to do the same.

In the past, we have created a public leaderboard page so you can see who’s winning the contest as players sign with teams. I will attempt to build something like that this winter. If it succeeds, we’re going to use entrants’ full names on it. So, if that concerns you please do not enter the contest. Entries with inappropriate names will be deleted.

We are also collecting email addresses, which I will use to notify winners. I may also use those email addresses to notify you of next year’s free agent prediction contest.

If a player signs between now and the close of the contest, that’s a freebie, but you still need to go in and make the correct pick.

After you submit your picks, you’ll receive an email from Google Forms. In that email, you’ll see a button that allows you to edit your picks.

We will announce the winners on MLBTR once all 50 free agents have signed. We will award $500 to first place, $300 to second place, and $100 to third place. Winners must respond to an email within one week.

Ties in the correct number of picks will be broken by summing up the rankings of the free agents of the correct picks and taking the lower total. For example: Tim and Steve each get two picks correct. Tim gets Bryce Harper (#1 ranking) and Adam Ottavino (#20 ranking) for a total of 21 points. Steve gets Yasmani Grandal (#6) and Charlie Morton (#14) for a total of 20 points. Steve’s total is lower and he’s ahead of Tim for tiebreaker purposes.

If you have any further questions, ask us in the comment section of this post! Otherwise, make your picks now!

]]>2018-19 MLB Free AgentsNewsstandTim Dierkeshttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/mlb-trade-rumors-free-agent-prediction-contest-2.htmlAL East Notes: Sale, Swihart, Yankees, Chang, Blue Jayshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/ZKg-PeEhOXE/al-east-notes-sale-swihart-yankees-chang-blue-jays.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:644130c2-a28c-fe90-a122-0cbaeb0288a7Mon, 19 Nov 2018 03:05:06 +0000Some items from around the AL East&#8230; Chris Sale is only under contract through the 2019 season, and his potential future in Boston &#8220;could be the key to the entire offseason&#8221; for the Red Sox, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald writes. The Sox are sure to discuss an extension with Sale this winter, though&#8230;Some items from around the AL East…

Chris Sale is only under contract through the 2019 season, and his potential future in Boston “could be the key to the entire offseason” for the Red Sox, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald writes. The Sox are sure to discuss an extension with Sale this winter, though if they don’t feel the southpaw will be staying beyond the coming season (or the team is wary of spending big money on Sale over the long term), then Mastrodonato believes landing another frontline pitcher will become an immediate priority. If the Red Sox are able to extend Sale or believe they’ll be able to re-sign him next offseason, starting pitching likely won’t be a pressing priority this winter. In my opinion, I’d guess the Red Sox would pursue some type of controllable starter regardless of what happens with Sale, given that Rick Porcello will also be a free agent next winter and Eduardo Rodriguez’s injury history makes him a bit of a question mark for 2019.

Also from Mastrodonato’s piece, he notes that the Red Sox will be bringing Blake Swihart to Spring Training as a catcher. With Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon ahead of Swihart on the catching depth chart, the team experimented with Swihart as a utility player last season in an attempt to get him into the lineup, with unremarkable results. While Swihart will continue to get some work at multiple positions, his trade value would be maximized if he could stick behind the plate. Swihart has been the focus of trade rumors for well over a year, and the Red Sox were known to have a very high asking price in talks with other teams as of last May. Those demands seemed high at the time, given Swihart’s struggles to break through as a Major League player, and he did little to raise his stock over the rest of the season.

The Yankees “pushed hard” to acquire infield prospect Yu Chang from the Indians when the two teams were discussing the Andrew Miller trade in the summer of 2016, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Chang has made steady progress since, with MLB.com currently ranking him as the sixth-best prospect in the Tribe’s system following a .256/.330/.411 performance over 518 PA at Triple-A last season. It isn’t known if New York still has Chang on its radar, though with the Yankees recently showing interest in trading for one of Cleveland’s top starters, Chang could become a target again if the two clubs expand talks into a multi-player trade. Pluto also notes that other teams have called the Indians about Chang in trade discussions.

Tuesday is the deadline for teams to set their 40-man rosters in advance of the Rule 5 Draft, and the Blue Jays are one of several teams that face losing at least one player, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi writes. With newly-acquiredTyler Thornton requiring Rule 5 protection, Toronto currently has 36 players on its 40-man, with Davidi figuring that pitching prospects Hector Perez, Patrick Murphy, and Yennsy Diaz will account for three of the four open spots. This leaves multiple Rule 5-eligible prospects vying for just one roster spot, though the Jays could also create more space with trades or releases before Tuesday’s deadline. Yangervis Solarte is a likely non-tender candidate, for instance, and there has been speculation has the Jays could part ways with former top prospect Dalton Pompey, who is out of options and seemingly buried on Toronto’s depth chart. Davidi’s piece also contains a broader overview of the challenges that teams face when they have a surplus of minor league talent at one or more positions, as a club can risk losing or overlooking someone simply due to lack of playing time, only to see that player blossom elsewhere.

]]>Blake SwihartBoston Red SoxChris SaleCleveland IndiansNew York YankeesToronto Blue JaysYu ChangMark Polishukhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/al-east-notes-sale-swihart-yankees-chang-blue-jays.htmlInternational Transactions: 11/18/18http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/8P_Q2hZT2GA/international-transactions-111818.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:771730e2-b006-4b53-0859-e5af23fbb7d4Mon, 19 Nov 2018 01:42:43 +0000Here&#8217;s the roundup of some familiar North American names heading to play ball overseas&#8230; The KT Wiz of the Korean Baseball Organization has announced the signing of right-hander Raul Alcantara, according to San Kang of Sports Dong-A (hat tip to MyKBO.net&#8217;s Dan Kurtz). The contract will pay Alcantara $650K for the coming KBO season. The&#8230;Here’s the roundup of some familiar North American names heading to play ball overseas…

The KT Wiz of the Korean Baseball Organization has announced the signing of right-hander Raul Alcantara, according to San Kang of Sports Dong-A (hat tip to MyKBO.net’s Dan Kurtz). The contract will pay Alcantara $650K for the coming KBO season. The righty was outrighted off the Athletics’ 40-man roster at the end of Spring Training, and then posted a 5.29 ERA, 5.7 K/9, and 3.79 K/BB rate over 83 1/3 innings for Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate, working as a starter in 10 of his 32 games. Over 46 1/3 IP for the A’s at the big league level in 2016-17, Alcantara managed just a 7.19 ERA, and he allowed a whopping 14 homers over that limited stretch.

In other news from the KBO, the Kia Tigers announced that they are working on a contract with outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker (hat tip to Dan Kurtz once again), though a deal is not yet official. Hazelbaker began the 2018 season as a member of the Diamondbacks organization before a pair of trades sent him to the Rays and then to the Twins, though he spend the entire season at the Triple-A level, hitting only .204/.298/.385 over 356 combined PA. The 31-year-old Hazelbaker posted a much better batting line in his brief exposure to Major League pitching in 2016-17, hitting .258/.327/.500 over 285 career plate appearances for the Cardinals and D’Backs. Originally a fourth-round pick for the Red Sox in 2009, Hazelbaker has bounced around six teams in his pro career and will now look for a change of scenery in South Korea.

]]>Jeremy HazelbakerRaul AlcantaraTransactionsMark Polishukhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/international-transactions-111818.htmlMLBTR Originalshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/IlIWYyg65yk/mlbtr-originals-215.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:c6af67ff-5e8c-1f69-0d3c-d6f25f01ebe9Mon, 19 Nov 2018 00:16:01 +0000Here&#8217;s the last week&#8217;s worth of original content from the MLB Trade Rumors writing team&#8230; A 10-9 win-loss record didn&#8217;t prevent Jacob deGrom from winning the NL Cy Young Award, though that record could impact what the Mets ace will earn in arbitration this winter. Matt Swartz, creator of MLBTR&#8217;s arbitration model, profiles deGrom&#8217;s unique&#8230;Here’s the last week’s worth of original content from the MLB Trade Rumors writing team…

A 10-9 win-loss record didn’t prevent Jacob deGrom from winning the NL Cy Young Award, though that record could impact what the Mets ace will earn in arbitration this winter. Matt Swartz, creator of MLBTR’s arbitration model, profiles deGrom’s unique situation in the first Arbitration Breakdown piece of the 2018-19 offseason, noting that deGrom could end up being an important precedent for other pitchers in future arbitration cases.

Speaking of arbitration, Tim Dierkes presents MLBTR’s annual list of potential non-tender candidates, listing 51 arb-eligible players whose teams could simply not tender them new contracts on the November 30th deadline. These players could also be candidates to be traded or released before November 30 — since Tim published his list, we’ve already seen one name (Justin Bour, formerly of the Phillies) hit the waiver wire.

Speaking of Phillies first basemen, Carlos Santana is rumored to be on the trade market less than a year after signing in Philadelphia, as the team is eager to end the Rhys Hoskins-as-an-outfielder experiment. Tim takes a look at some teams that could possibly fit as trade partners for the Phillies in finding a new spot for the veteran slugger.

Trading Santana is just one of many rumored moves in what is expected to be a very busy offseason for the Phillies. With the team linked to just about every big free agent and trade target on the market, the question has to be asked, how much do the Phillies have to spend on these acquisitions? In his first “Projecting Payrolls” piece for MLBTR, Rob Huff breaks down the Phillies’ projected payroll space for the coming offseason, based on such factors as their past spending habits, future commitments, team needs, and more.

Patrick Corbin is projected to land the biggest contract of any free agent starting pitcher, leading Ty Bradley to ask MLBTR’s readers which team will end up signing the star left-hander. The choice was clear, as over 55% of readers polled believe Corbin will return to his home state to sign with the Yankees.

We’ll wrap up this Phillies-centric week of original content with another poll, this one from Connor inquiring whether or not Philadelphia will wind up withManny Machado and/or Bryce Harper when the dust settles this winter. Interestingly, 32.67% of readers polled believe neither player will be a Phillie on Opening Day, with 27.34% predicting the Phillies will sign Harper and 25.77% calling a Machado signing.

]]>Baseball Blogs Weigh InConnor Byrnehttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/baseball-blogs-weigh-in-fas-yanks-sp-pursuit-giants-d-backs-mets.htmlNathan Eovaldi Drawing Widespread Interesthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/0BrZyv3bLHI/nathan-eovaldi-drawing-widespread-interest.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:156d2c7e-61e2-0cec-4ba5-3a2232f187d2Sun, 18 Nov 2018 22:38:45 +00004:36pm: Eovaldi has received interest from &#8220;everybody and their mother,&#8221; a source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI. However, &#8220;truly serious suitors&#8221; won&#8217;t begin to stand out until after Thanksgiving, Bradford hears. The Yankees are among those who will at least consider Eovaldi, per Bradford. 8:59am: Free-agent starter Nathan Eovaldi has drawn considerable interest on the&#8230;4:36pm: Eovaldi has received interest from “everybody and their mother,” a source tells Rob Bradford of WEEI. However, “truly serious suitors” won’t begin to stand out until after Thanksgiving, Bradford hears. The Yankees are among those who will at least consider Eovaldi, per Bradford.

8:59am: Free-agent starter Nathan Eovaldi has drawn considerable interest on the open market, according to the Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo, who writes that the Brewers, Phillies, Braves, Angels, White Sox, Blue Jays and Giants join the previously reported Red Sox and Padres as early suitors for the right-hander. More teams may join the fray, Cafardo adds.

Although Eovaldi is a two-time Tommy John surgery recipient who only threw 111 regular-season innings in 2018, the soon-to-be 29-year-old still managed to significantly boost his stock. Across 22 appearances (21 starts) divided between Tampa Bay and Boston, Eovaldi pitched to a solid 3.81 ERA/3.60 FIP with 8.19 K/9, 1.62 BB/9 and a 45.6 percent groundball rate. Among pitchers who threw at least 100 innings, Eovaldi finished third in both average fastball velocity (97.4 mph) and infield fly percentage (15.7), tied for sixth in BB/9, and 12th in K/BB ratio (5.05). He also yielded a paltry .284 expected weighted on-base average, an even more impressive figure than the .293 real wOBA hitters registered against him.

After posting those strong numbers during the regular season, Eovaldi proved capable of shining on the game’s biggest stage for the Red Sox, who couldn’t have asked for more when they acquired him in July. Eovaldi surrendered just four earned runs in 22 1/3 postseason innings, helping the Red Sox vanquish the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers en route to a World Series title. The success Eovaldi enjoyed in October surely helped his stock heading toward the open market, where MLBTR predicts he’ll land a four-year, $60MM guarantee.

A lucrative payday for Eovaldi this offseason may have been unthinkable at this time last year, when he was still recovering from the 2016 Tommy John surgery he underwent as a Yankee. However, Eovaldi now has a clean bill of health. Dr. Christopher Ahmad, who performed Eovaldi’s most recent surgery, gave his right arm a ringing endorsement Friday, telling Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston: “To me, he’s over Tommy John surgery and he’s over revision Tommy John surgery. And I would consider him in the same category of somebody who has a healthy arm, and whatever worry I have about that player, I have the same or less for Nate.”

Adding to Eovaldi’s appeal, he doesn’t come with a qualifying offer attached, which isn’t the case with either Patrick Corbin or Dallas Keuchel – the only starters MLBTR projects to sign bigger contracts. Of course, Eovaldi’s resume isn’t on the level of theirs. While Corbin and Keuchel have offered superstar-caliber production at times, Eovaldi has generally performed like a mid- to back-end starter. Also a former Dodger and Marlin, Eovaldi owns a 4.16 ERA/3.82 FIP with 6.78 K/9, 2.74 BB/9 and a 46.8 percent grounder rate over 850 innings, and he hasn’t exceeded 125 frames in a season since 2015. There are certainly some red flags with Eovaldi, then, yet it’s still unsurprising that teams are lining up for his services.

]]>Atlanta BravesBoston Red SoxChicago White SoxLos Angeles AngelsMilwaukee BrewersNathan EovaldiNew York YankeesPhiladelphia PhilliesSan Diego PadresSan Francisco GiantsToronto Blue JaysConnor Byrnehttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/nathan-eovaldi-drawing-widespread-interest.htmlQuick Hits: Astros, Red Sox, Robertson, Girardi, Reds, Snellhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/Xuat7KtlbmE/quick-hits-astros-red-sox-robertson-girardi-reds-snell.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:63f7136b-4c77-262c-26d2-751a38b7d6c8Sun, 18 Nov 2018 21:44:51 +0000The Astros are more focused on the trade market than free agency in their search for starting pitching, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Houston&#8217;s &#8220;inquiring on nearly every available starter via trade,&#8221; Morosi hears. The Astros are already known to have interest in Mariners left-hander James Paxton, who&#8217;s one of several front-end starters who could&#8230;The Astros are more focused on the trade market than free agency in their search for starting pitching, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Houston’s “inquiring on nearly every available starter via trade,” Morosi hears. The Astros are already known to have interest in Mariners left-hander James Paxton, who’s one of several front-end starters who could be on the block this offseason. Other potential movers include the Indians’ Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer, the Diamondbacks’ Zack Greinke, the Mets’ Noah Syndergaard and the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner.

Here’s more from around the majors:

Free-agent reliever David Robertsonprefers to sign with a team in the Northeast, where he has pitched the majority of his career as a member of the Yankees. The 33-year-old may simply end up re-signing with the Yanks, but Rob Bradford of WEEI observes that Robertson would be a logical fit for the archrival Red Sox. The world champions’ bullpen could suffer a couple blows in the coming weeks if free agents Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly cash in elsewhere, which would leave room for a Robertson addition. Moreover, as a Rhode Island resident whose wife is from Medfield, Mass., Robertson has New England ties, as Bradford notes.

Joe Girardi was a strong candidate to become the Reds’ manager last month, but he took himself out of contention, paving the way for the team to hire David Bell. Girardi spoke Saturday about his withdrawal from Cincinnati’s search, telling Brendan Kuty of NJ.com: “I just decided that I was going to broadcast another year and spend another year with my family, wait to see what opportunities are presented next year and go from there. Thought I had good interviews but I just decided I’m going to wait.” Girardi was also a candidate in Texas, which, like Cincinnati, has struggled of late and may be in for another lean year in 2019. Considering the success Girardi had with the Yankees from 2008-17, neither Cincy nor Texas looked like an ideal match for him on paper. However, Girardi suggested to Kuty that he’s not opposed to overseeing a rebuilding club. “Whether it’s a team that’s rebuilding or it’s a team that’s in the middle (of a rebuild), it doesn’t matter to me,” the 54-year-old said. “I just felt like it wasn’t the right time.”

With Blake Snell fresh off winning American League Cy Young honors, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times revisits the 2011 draft, in which the Rays landed the left-hander. Although the Rays had 10 of the top 60 picks that year, nearly all of their selections have disappointed in various ways, as Topkin details. Snell, whom they nabbed 52nd overall, has been an obvious exception. Notably, Tampa Bay wouldn’t have owned the choice it used on Snell had it not signed veteran outfielder Brad Hawpe in August 2010. Hawpe made little on-field impact as a Ray, but his exit in free agency during the ensuing offseason netted the team the compensatory pick that turned into Snell.

]]>Blake SnellBoston Red SoxCincinnati RedsHouston AstrosJoe GirardiTampa Bay RaysConnor Byrnehttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/quick-hits-astros-red-sox-robertson-girardi-reds-snell.htmlPoll: Bryce Harper, Manny Machado And The Phillieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/IvsuMIlUG0g/poll-bryce-harper-manny-machado-and-the-phillies.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:84b5d451-1a46-3314-d90f-54064b86c27bSun, 18 Nov 2018 20:14:50 +0000On several occasions over the past decade, the Phillies have shown a willingness to spend among the league&#8217;s elite. However, because the Phillies were recently amid a full-fledged rebuild, the big-market club took major steps backward in the spending department. Last year, with Philadelphia aiming to make a sizable leap in the standings, the team&#8230;On several occasions over the past decade, the Phillies have shown a willingness to spend among the league’s elite. However, because the Phillies were recently amid a full-fledged rebuild, the big-market club took major steps backward in the spending department. Last year, with Philadelphia aiming to make a sizable leap in the standings, the team began with a modest $95MM-plus in commitments. Two expensive signings from last offseason – right-hander Jake Arrieta (three years, $75MM) and first baseman Carlos Santana (three years, $60MM) – easily served as the Phillies’ priciest players in 2018, and the duo did help the team make legitimate progress. The Phillies notched their best record since 2012 (80-82), totaling 14 more wins than they amassed in 2017, but they finished under .500 for the sixth consecutive season and extended their playoff drought to seven years.

Santana is now on the block, though his potential exit isn’t a sign that the Phillies are looking to cut costs. Quite the contrary, actually, as owner John Middleton has publicly declared that the Phillies won’t be bashful when it comes to doling out money. In fact, while discussing the Phillies’ offseason plans on Friday, Middleton proclaimed that “we’re going into this expecting to spend money. And maybe even be a little bit stupid about it. We just prefer not to be completely stupid.”

Even before Middleton made it known that Philadelphia’s looking to go big-game hunting, expectations were that the franchise would spend aggressively this winter. After all, the open market now features two of the most enticing free agents ever in outfielder Bryce Harper and infielder Manny Machado. Combining the Phillies’ spending capabilities with the lack of guaranteed money on their books beyond 2020, pursuits of both Harper and Machado have seemed like foregone conclusions. Both players stand a strong chance of surpassing the richest contract in baseball history – the 13-year, $325MM extension outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signed with the Marlins in 2014 – and the Phillies are among the teams truly capable of spending that type of cash. What’s more, if any one organization is going to sign both Harper and Machado, the Phillies are on a very short list of realistic possibilities.

The need for Harper, Machado or both in Philadelphia is obvious, as either player would clearly boost a position player group which ranked 22nd in runs and 23rd in fWAR in 2018. The Phillies’ 48 hitters accounted for 12.4 fWAR, while Machado (6.2) and Harper (3.5) combined for 9.7 by themselves. The two 26-year-olds have been among the game’s most feared hitters throughout their decorated careers, though Machado has also provided plenty of value as a third baseman. The former Oriole and Dodger would do the same in Philadelphia, which got so-so production at the hot corner from Maikel Franco, current free agent Asdrubal Cabrera and J.P. Crawford, among others, in 2018. Franco’s now penciled in as the Phillies’ 2019 starter at third, but that spot’s ripe for an upgrade.

Philadelphia is seemingly even worse off at shortstop, Machado’s preferred position and where he spent the majority of last season. Machado didn’t have a banner year defensively, but he did place first among shortstops in wRC+ (141) and second in both home runs (38) and fWAR. The Phillies, on the other hand, received a microscopic 0.7 fWAR from shortstops Scott Kingery, Crawford, Cabrera and Pedro Florimon, and their combined wRC+ (74) was barely more than half of Machado’s.

Fortunately for the Phillies, their 2018 outfield wasn’t as toothless as the left side of their infield. That doesn’t mean it’s an area of strength, however. Aside from slugger Rhys Hoskins, who overcame major defensive woes to log a respectable fWAR (2.9), the Phillies got mediocre or worse overall production from outfield regulars Odubel Herrera, Nick Williams, Roman Quinn and Aaron Altherr. Going forward, Hoskins may shift to first base, which explains the team’s willingness to trade Santana and could increase the need for Harper or another high-end outfielder. Harper, like Hoskins, had a year to forget in the field. Defensive ineptitude has hardly been the norm for Harper since he debuted in 2012, though, and he made up for it to an extent by notching another quality year at the plate.

Signing Harper would improve the Phillies’ near-term chances of returning to contention, and there’s an added bonus: Landing him would be a blow to the division-rival Nationals, Harper’s only team to date. The Nats, the reigning NL East champion Braves and the Mets will each push for supremacy in the division next season, but the Phillies could wind up as the favorites if general manager Matt Klentak uses Middleton’s money effectively this winter. While there are plenty of avenues Klentak could explore that don’t involve Harper or Machado, speculation about those two heading to Philadelphia will persist until they officially come off the market.

]]>Bryce HarperManny MachadoMLBTR OriginalsMLBTR PollsPhiladelphia PhilliesConnor Byrnehttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/poll-bryce-harper-manny-machado-and-the-phillies.htmlJeff Wilpon On deGrom, Syndergaard, Payroll, Front Officehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/vfs3eBTTQRg/jeff-wilpon-on-degrom-syndergaard-payroll-front-office.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:0c272931-29f8-5319-1646-643206bd300fSun, 18 Nov 2018 18:12:09 +0000The Mets aren&#8217;t yet prioritizing a contract extension for National League Cy Young Award-winning right-hander Jacob deGrom, COO Jeff Wilpon informed Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News and other reporters Friday. However, the two sides could could begin discussions on a new deal next month. “We’ll talk with the new agent here at&#8230;The Mets aren’t yet prioritizing a contract extension for National League Cy Young Award-winning right-hander Jacob deGrom, COO Jeff Wilpon informed Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News and other reporters Friday. However, the two sides could could begin discussions on a new deal next month. “We’ll talk with the new agent here at some point in the near future, probably see him at the Winter Meetings,” Wilpon said. DeGrom’s situation is particularly interesting because his previous agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, became New York’s general manager last month. But deGrom stayed with the same agency, CAA Baseball, where former Van Wagenen partner Jeff Berry is now representing the soon-to-be 31-year-old hurler. If deGrom, who has two years of arbitration control remaining, does strike a long-term pact with the Mets, it’ll come without Van Wagnen’s direct involvement. While the GM would have to approve an extension, he’ll abstain from contract talks with deGrom in order to avoid a conflict of interest.

Van Wagenen also used to represent deGrom’s teammate and co-ace, Noah Syndergaard, who has been popular in the rumormill this week. Should New York make Syndergaard and his three years of control available, most of the league would likely inquire, though the team understandably seems content to go forward with him. Wilpon didn’t rule out a Syndergaard trade, but he said Friday (via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com) that a deal involving the flamethrowing 26-year-old “would have to be pretty lopsided” in the Mets’ favor.

New York already has upward of $138MM going toward next year’s roster, which won’t give the club much room to spend if it plans on staying in the vicinity of last season’s $150MM-plus Opening Day total. A payroll increase would clearly benefit Van Wagenen in his first offseason on the job, though Wilpon wasn’t willing to reveal whether that’s in the Mets’ plans. “Brodie knows what the parameters of what the payroll is and what we’re planning to do,” said Wilpon (per DiComo).

The Mets recently parted ways with J.P. Ricciardi, who was a key member of their previous front office. Assistant GM John Ricco was also integral in the Mets’ prior power structure, but his future is now up in the air. Ricco remains in the front office for the time being, according to Wilpon, who stated (via Ackert) he’s “working” and “has a contract,” adding that “[Ricco] and Brodie will have that conversation when they get to it.” It’s worth noting that Ricciardi also had a contract with the Mets, but the deal didn’t prevent his exit. With that in mind, Ricco may not be a lock to stay in the fold.

]]>Jacob deGromNew York MetsNoah SyndergaardConnor Byrnehttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/jeff-wilpon-on-degrom-syndergaard-payroll-front-office.htmlGoing Deep: Garrett Hampson the Future Fantasy Rock Star?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/OIOJ9VFhog8/
Pitcher Listurn:uuid:e5d4d831-c5cc-031b-9a1e-d8101dc39ab4Sun, 18 Nov 2018 17:30:28 +0000Adam Garland takes look at the short and long-term fantasy outlook for Colorado Rockies prospect Garrett Hampson.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rotofeed/~4/OIOJ9VFhog8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Going DeepAdam Garlandhttps://www.pitcherlist.com/going-deep-garrett-hampson-the-future-fantasy-rock-star/Rosenthal’s Latest: Mets, Syndergaard, Rangers, Minor, Orioleshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/rfC9Ix2sE3w/rosenthals-latest-mets-syndergaard-rangers-minor-orioles.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:c4e6b24d-40be-e6a6-9962-b495ebba5f6eSun, 18 Nov 2018 16:18:41 +0000Star right-hander Noah Syndergaard has drawn trade interest this offseason, but if the Mets do deal him, it&#8217;s not going to be for a package of prospects, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription required). Rather, because the Mets aim to contend in 2019, they&#8217;d need to make a trade that improves their roster both&#8230;Star right-hander Noah Syndergaard has drawn trade interest this offseason, but if the Mets do deal him, it’s not going to be for a package of prospects, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription required). Rather, because the Mets aim to contend in 2019, they’d need to make a trade that improves their roster both now and in the future, according to Rosenthal. Moving Syndergaard would likely cause significant damage to the Mets’ rotation heading into 2019, though, so they’d almost have to sign a replacement in free agency, Rosenthal notes. To this point, the Mets have been “very engaged in the marketplace,” a representative for a free-agent starter tells Rosenthal.

Syndergaard’s not the only established Mets hurler whose future is in question, per Rosenthal, who adds that all of their starters are generating interest. Syndergaard’s fellow ace, National League Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, isn’t going anywhere, sources tell Rosenthal. The rest of the Mets’ rotation – which consists of Zack Wheeler, Steven Matz and Jason Vargas – isn’t as impressive, though Wheeler and Matz are appealing. Wheeler, healthy for the first time since 2014, is coming off a terrific season, but he only has a year of control remaining; Matz is an injury-prone lefty who was a mixed bag in 2018, but he’s still just 27 and has three years of control left; Vargas, meanwhile, endured a disastrous 2018, and with a guaranteed $10MM left on his contract, the Mets may be fortunate to find a taker for him. However, as with Syndergaard, the Mets’ goal in giving up any of Wheeler, Matz or Vargas would be to better themselves in the near and long term, Rosenthal writes.

More rumblings from Rosenthal…

Even though the Rangers’ rotation is perilously thin, the rebuilding club would likely trade its top starter, left-hander Mike Minor, for the right offer, Rosenthal suggests. Minor’s drawing interest on the heels of his first season in Texas, which signed him to a three-year, $28MM guarantee last December. When he joined the Rangers, Minor was coming off an excellent season as a full-time reliever for the Royals, but he returned to a starting role in 2018 and posted a 4.18 ERA/4.43 FIP with 7.57 K/9 and 2.18 BB/9 over 157 innings (28 starts). Minor has an affordable $19MM left on his contract, though his 10-team no-trade clause could block some prospective suitors from acquiring him.

After a drawn-out search, the Orioles finally named a general manager, Mike Elias, whom they hired Friday. Elias is now seeking a manager for the Orioles, and it’s “more likely” he’ll hire an experienced skipper than a neophyte, Rosenthal relays. However, Elias isn’t necessarily aiming to make a high-profile hire, per Rosenthal, who writes that the O’s next manager could be a “caretaker.”

]]>Baltimore OriolesJacob deGromJason VargasMike MinorNew York MetsNoah SyndergaardSteven MatzTexas RangersZack WheelerConnor Byrnehttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/rosenthals-latest-mets-syndergaard-rangers-minor-orioles.htmlBuy ‘Em or Deny ‘Em: Will Carlos Rodon Ever Live Up To The Hype Once Bestowed Upon Him?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/6c-cEucj4k0/
Rotoprofessorurn:uuid:aa3f199e-7dea-9fd9-d477-20b95f82e718Sun, 18 Nov 2018 11:00:05 +0000by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor) We’ve long heard about the hype of the White Sox’ Carlos Rodon, though for a variety of reasons he’s fallen far short of expectations. While injuries have played a significant role in his “demise”, his performance hasn’t backed upby Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

We’ve long heard about the hype of the White Sox’ Carlos Rodon, though for a variety of reasons he’s fallen far short of expectations. While injuries have played a significant role in his “demise”, his performance hasn’t backed up what we heard as he progressed either. Just look at what he did when on the mound in 2018:

There are a lot of concerns in the numbers, especially with his strikeouts falling off a cliff. Is there enough upside for the southpaw to improve in that regard to make him viable? Even if he does, is there anything to buy into? Let’s take a look:

In terms of his strikeouts, he owns a career 8.61 K/9 so what happened? You can actually argue that he never showed that type of upside in the Majors. While his O-Swing% and SwStr% both dropped, both were relatively minor:

O-Swing% – 27.6% in ’18 vs. 28.4% for his career

SwStr% – 9.0% in ’18 vs. 9.9% for his career

His Whiff% did fall for all of his pitches, but again not enough to warrant a drop-off of 2+ strikeouts per nine innings. At the end of the day, barring a change the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle as opposed to a strikeout per inning pitcher. He would need to be really strong in his other skills then to get us excited…

And that’s the problem. Rodon has never shown strong control, with a 3.84 career BB/9. Even that is slightly skewed by his 2.95 mark back in 2016, as that’s the only time he’s been below a 4.00 mark. Given the O-Swing% is anyone buying that type of strong mark? Maybe injuries have played a role, as the constant starts and stops have likely caused an issue, but that’s not enough.

Rodon also lacks an elite groundball rate, with a career 44.2% groundball rate leading to a 1.11 HR/9. While you can call last year’s mark as a bit of an aberration, with 6 of his 15 HR allowed coming to left-handed hitters (he’s only allowed 10 HR to left-handed hitters over the course of his career). Maybe that gives a little bit of help, but he pitches in a hitter friendly ballpark and he’s going to consistently have some issues.

While it would be easy to point towards his WHIP last season as a selling point, he obviously benefited from some luck given the BABIP (even with a 30.9% Hard% we’d expect a regression). Now let’s summarize the outlook:

Strikeouts – He appears to be mediocre, with the likelihood of a K/9 in the 7.50-8.00 range

Control – He is below average, with a 4.00 BB/9 likely

Groundballs – He’s pedestrian, with the potential to struggle with home runs

Where are we hanging our hat now? The skills just don’t appear to be there.

Sources – Fangraphs, Brooks Baseball

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]]>Player AnalysisRotoprofessorhttp://rotoprofessor.com/baseball/?p=37570Pre-Order Rotoprofessor’s 2019 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide For Just $7.75!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/BA5xva7jm1U/
Rotoprofessorurn:uuid:05697dc7-f3f4-d6b5-f496-071cd718ad8aSun, 18 Nov 2018 09:00:32 +0000It&#8217;s that time of year again! Sure football season is in full swing, but it&#8217;s never too early to start planning for 2019. As a loyal Rotoprofessor reader/supporter, we wanted to give you the first opportunity to reserve your copy our 2019 Fantasy Baseball DraftIt’s that time of year again! Sure football season is in full swing, but it’s never too early to start planning for 2019. As a loyal Rotoprofessor reader/supporter, we wanted to give you the first opportunity to reserve your copy our 2019 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide!

The price will be increasing this year to a whole $7.75 (I know, inflation). This may be the best value you get to help prepare for your fantasy baseball season, so make sure to take advantage of it.

For those who have never experienced the guide, it is delivered through e-mail as an Excel spreadsheet and also includes:

Over 500 player projections (including some of the top prospects in the game)

Top 5 Prospects for 2019 by team (Prospects who can make impact in ’19)

Top 40 “New” Dynasty Prospects

Auction Values (including NL/AL-Only)

Multiple Position Eligibility Chart

Closer Chart

Top 25 Sleepers for 2019

15 Players Likely to be Overdrafted in 2019

Unlike paper guides our version will be updated every two-to-three weeks, helping you stay as prepared as possible. The first draft was released on January 18, 2019 and the updates will begin after that. I want to thank you all for supporting Rotoprofessor and make sure to reserve your copy of the 2019 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide today!

]]>GeneralRotoprofessorhttp://rotoprofessor.com/baseball/?p=37467Offseason Prospect Notes: Peace Out Arizona Scouthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/1q-DTuq61rk/
Fantasy Baseball Blog at Razzball.comurn:uuid:3a555831-3729-c3cd-441d-126a7de56261Sun, 18 Nov 2018 08:01:07 +0000The Arizona Fall League is a lot like my romantic relationships - short-lived, dry, and rarely televised. Yesterday's championship game marked the end of the 2018 AFL season. We laughed, we cried, but mostly we paid attention to football instead. It's Thanksgiving, which means it's basically Christmas, which means it's basically spring. Time flies when your public water supply is spiked. January Grey will be here before you know it with projections for all the good boys/five girls and pop-up ads for all the bad ones. Small sample sizes aside, the AFL is basically a showcase for top prospects, so the ones who stood out warrant our attention. They're the creme de la creme fraiche. So let's take one last look back at the AFL leaders before we put these desert specs on ice and fly south to the Caribbean.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rotofeed/~4/1q-DTuq61rk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>Fantasy Baseball ProspectsBraxton DavidsonForrest WhitleyGarrett WilliamsKeston HiuraNick HeathPeter AlonsoTyler NevinWill CraigMikehttps://razzball.com/offseason-prospect-notes-peace-out-arizona-scout/NL Notes: Braves, Kimbrel, Dodgers, Jansen, Redshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/0DGCZSbdSZo/nl-notes-braves-kimbrel-dodgers-jansen-reds.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:bd58f522-ad5a-33ad-c603-d844f020954fSun, 18 Nov 2018 04:33:30 +0000A few items from the National League&#8230; Atlanta&#8217;s a speculative landing spot for closer Craig Kimbrel, who starred with the Braves from 2010-14 and is now the most proven reliever available in free agency. However, barring a drop in Kimbrel&#8217;s asking price, it&#8217;s &#8220;highly unlikely&#8221; he&#8217;ll rejoin the Braves this offseason, Mark Bowman of MLB.com&#8230;A few items from the National League…

Atlanta’s a speculative landing spot for closer Craig Kimbrel, who starred with the Braves from 2010-14 and is now the most proven reliever available in free agency. However, barring a drop in Kimbrel’s asking price, it’s “highly unlikely” he’ll rejoin the Braves this offseason, Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes. MLBTR predicts the 30-year-old Kimbrel will reel in a whopping $70MM guarantee, which could be too much for an Atlanta team that may not be in position to make a big-money splash this offseason, as general manager Alex Anthopoulos suggested last month. Anthopoulos has made it known the Braves are interested in adding a closer this winter, though, so whether it’s Kimbrel or someone else, it appears the club is primed to bring in some late-game help.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen announced Friday that he’ll undergo heart surgery Nov. 26, per Chad Thornburg of MLB.com. The procedure comes with a two- to eight-week recovery timeline, meaning Jansen should be fine by spring training. It’ll be the second heart surgery since 2012 for Jansen, who missed time with an irregular heartbeat that season and during both the 2011 and ’18 campaigns. The 31-year-old has been particularly susceptible to an irregular heartbeat at high altitude – the issue cropped up in Colorado in 2012, and he was hospitalized after a game at Coors Field last August. As a result, Jansen sat out a road series against the Rockies in September on doctors’ recommendation.

The Reds have hired J.R. House to serve as their third base coach and catching coach, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports. The 39-year-old House will replace Billy Hatcher, who had been the Reds’ third base coach, and ex-catching coach Mike Stefanski, though it’s not yet known if those two will stay in the organization in different roles, per Sheldon. House, a former professional catcher and first basemen, spent the past seven seasons in player development with the Diamondbacks. He’s the third new hire for rookie manager David Bell, who previously tabbed Derek Johnson as the Reds’ pitching coach and Turner Ward as their hitting coach.

]]>Atlanta BravesCincinnati RedsCraig KimbrelKenley JansenLos Angeles DodgersConnor Byrnehttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/nl-notes-braves-kimbrel-dodgers-jansen-reds.htmlYankees Notes: Gray, A’s, Machado, Relievers, Extensionshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/il561LOcwWw/yankees-notes-gray-as-machado-relievers-extensions.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:26819f3d-8790-5150-6ae8-830548f7532bSun, 18 Nov 2018 02:47:06 +0000Although the Athletics contacted the Yankees about right-hander Sonny Gray at least a week ago, &#8220;there is no present momentum in talks&#8221; between the teams, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. A return to Oakland would represent a homecoming of sorts for Gray, a 2011 first-round pick of the A&#8217;s who mostly thrived with the club&#8230;Although the Athleticscontacted the Yankees about right-hander Sonny Gray at least a week ago, “there is no present momentum in talks” between the teams, Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets. A return to Oakland would represent a homecoming of sorts for Gray, a 2011 first-round pick of the A’s who mostly thrived with the club from 2013-17. The A’s dealt Gray to the Yankees in July 2017 for a bounty of prospects, but he has since looked like a poor fit in the Bronx, leading general manager Brian Cashman to concede that “it’s probably best” for the Bombers to move the 29-year-old this winter. Gray’s down to his final season of team control, in which he’ll earn a projected $9.1MM. Even for a low-budget team like Oakland, $9MM-plus for Gray doesn’t look like an unreasonable figure. Gray pitched like a front-end starter away from Yankee Stadium last year, after all, so he could boost an A’s rotation which is clearly in need of help.

Infielder Manny Machado infamously told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic last month that being “Johnny Hustle” isn’t his “cup of tea.” Considering he was then on the brink of a much-anticipated, highly lucrative trip to free agency, Machado’s remarks came at an inopportune time. And now that Machado is on the open market – where he still figures to rake in a historic payday – Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner addressed the superstar’s comments this week, calling them “troubling” and noting that the club would need to discuss them with the 26-year-old as part of a serious pursuit. To this point, though, the Yankees and Machado haven’t set up a meeting, Cashman revealed Thursday. The executive added that the Yankees have used past meetings with free agents to “educate people about who we are and where we want to go and get a feel back if there’s an alignment there, if that player can fit in our culture and our New York environment or not. There’s times I’ve walked away refreshingly, feeling strongly about, ’I’m glad he was so candid because this is not going to be a good fit.'”

The Yankees are at risk of losing high-profile relievers David Robertson and Zach Britton to free agency, though they have spoken to both hurlers about re-signing, Cashman said. The 33-year-old Robertson, a Rhode Island resident, would like to pitch for a team in the Northeast, according to Cashman. “Does he want to come back? Yeah, but he said the same thing to me that he said to the public — he’s got to do what is in the best interests of his family,” Cashman said of Robertson, who’s acting as his own agent. “He’s looking for the best deal he can get. He must have already went to agent school; that’s normally the first thing you hear. There must be a playbook.”

Free agency and the trade market are likely the primary concerns for the Yankees right now, but they’ll also consider offseason extensions for some of their current players, per Cashman. Three of their top contributors – center fielder Aaron Hicks, shortstop Didi Gregorius and reliever Dellin Betances – are each scheduled to become free agents a year from now, but perhaps the Yankees will prevent one or more of them from reaching the market. “Is it something that’s on the list of things to talk to and walk through and get to? Yes,” Cashman stated in regard to potential extensions for the trio. “I wouldn’t rule anything out. Have we kicked it around in a very small scale way in the offices? Like, it’s now or never? Yeah, we have.”

]]>Aaron HicksDavid RobertsonDellin BetancesDidi GregoriusManny MachadoNew York YankeesOakland AthleticsSonny GrayZach BrittonConnor Byrnehttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/yankees-notes-gray-as-machado-relievers-extensions.htmlHeyman’s Latest: Mets, Machado, Red Sox, Dodgers, Marlinshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/KScgWzjbiK0/heymans-latest-mets-machado-red-sox-dodgers-marlins.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:d2056d11-133e-c285-7ef5-b1ab7341a88fSun, 18 Nov 2018 00:58:05 +0000After the Mets hired Brodie Van Wagenen as their new general manager last month, he declared the team expected to be &#8220;in on every free agent&#8221; this offseason. Van Wagenen&#8217;s comment led some to wonder whether the Mets, who could stand to upgrade the left side of their infield, would pursue Manny Machado. However, considering&#8230;After the Mets hired Brodie Van Wagenen as their new general manager last month, he declared the team expected to be “in on every free agent” this offseason. Van Wagenen’s comment led some to wonder whether the Mets, who could stand to upgrade the left side of their infield, would pursue Manny Machado. However, considering Machado figures to sign for $300MM-plus and the Mets have never even handed out a contract worth half that much, a marriage between the two always looked like a long shot. It appears to be fully out of the question now, as Jon Heyman of Fancred hears that the Mets have decided they’d rather spread their money around to various areas than splurge on Machado. As far as New York’s position player group goes, Heyman lists catcher, second base and center field as spots the team could spend on this winter. As for infielder Wilmer Flores, a non-tender candidate, Heyman notes that the Mets will “likely” tender him at a projected $4.7MM if they’re unable to trade him.

Here’s more from Heyman:

The reigning World Series champion Red Sox may soon lose free-agent right-handers Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel, who finished first and second among their relievers in innings last season. With the futures of Kelly and Kimbrel in question, the bullpen is Boston’s primary focus this offseason, according to Heyman. Given that the 30-year-old Kimbrel is in line to sign one of the richest contracts in the history of relievers this winter, he’ll be harder than Kelly to retain. While the Red Sox do have interest in re-signing Kimbrel, per Heyman, he adds that the team “seems adamant about not wanting to go five years” for the highly accomplished closer. Meanwhile, to no one’s surprise, the Sox also hope to re-up free-agent starter Nathan Eovaldi. The 28-year-old righty had a terrific run in Boston last season after it acquired him from Tampa Bay in July, and he’s now one of the most appealing starters on the open market.

The Dodgers, whom Boston defeated in the World Series, are looking to address the bullpen, the catcher position and possibly second base, Heyman relays. Los Angeles’ highest-profile free agent is catcher Yasmani Grandal, who rejected a $17.9MM qualifying offer from the Dodgers and, according to Heyman, now appears likely to head elsewhere. If Grandal does walk, the Dodgers may end up replacing him with a short-term option, observes Heyman, who notes that two of their top prospects – Keibert Ruiz and Will Smith – are catchers.

The Marlins are hoping to add a left-handed hitter via free agency or the trade market, Heyman writes. No team scored fewer runs in 2018 than the Marlins, in part because they slashed a meager .241/.304/.361 (85 wRC+) against right-handed pitching. As of now, they’re slated to feature a righty-heavy lineup next year, with utilityman Derek Dietrich and light-hitting shortstop JT Riddle the only lefty batters on their projected roster.

]]>Boston Red SoxCraig KimbrelLos Angeles DodgersManny MachadoMiami MarlinsNathan EovaldiNew York MetsWilmer FloresYasmani GrandalConnor Byrnehttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/heymans-latest-mets-machado-red-sox-dodgers-marlins.htmlPoll: Which Team Will Sign Patrick Corbin?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/sQC8m95AL84/poll-which-team-will-sign-patrick-corbin.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:c0495ac0-e14c-b972-fbc5-4c3635ce3209Sat, 17 Nov 2018 23:58:22 +0000Free agent lefty Patrick Corbin is arguably the top hurler on the market this offseason. The former Diamondback timed his ascension to dominance perfectly last season, posting career bests in strikeout rate (11.07 K/9), HR/9 (0.68), FIP (2.47), xFIP (2.61), ERA (3.15), fWAR (6.3) and games started (33) in a pivotal walk year for the&#8230;Free agent lefty Patrick Corbin is arguably the top hurler on the market this offseason. The former Diamondback timed his ascension to dominance perfectly last season, posting career bests in strikeout rate (11.07 K/9), HR/9 (0.68), FIP (2.47), xFIP (2.61), ERA (3.15), fWAR (6.3) and games started (33) in a pivotal walk year for the 29-year-old. If not for the staggering wire-to-wire performance of Mets righty Jacob deGrom, Corbin’s defense-independent pitching marks would have paced the Senior Circuit, besting even the perennial virtuosity of two-time defending Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer of the Nationals. In a free agent class replete with everything but top-end arms, Corbin has positioned himself squarely at the top: as our own Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Jeff Todd see it, the hurler is the premier available starting pitcher, set perhaps to command a deal in excess of $125MM over multiple seasons.

Signs of caution, however, do mark the landscape. Though Corbin has fewer innings under his belt than most starters his age, the limited output came with a price – a Tommy John surgery following a breakout 2013 campaign knocked out all of the following season, plus half of the next, and a hopeful rebound in 2016 was derailed by shaky command and a dangerous propensity for giving up the gopher ball. Corbin also relies heavily on a wipeout slider that ranked as the league’s very best in 2018: after a lessened reliance on the pitch in the two-year aftermath of the surgery, the lefty has again ramped up its use, throwing it a shocking 41.3% of the time in 2018, the second-highest among all starting pitchers in baseball last year. The pitch, of course, is renowned for the stress it places on the thrower’s elbow, and has long been circumstantially linked to the UCL tear that precipitates Tommy John.

There’s also the body of work. Never a top prospect, Corbin seemed, after nearly 750 IP at the major-league level following the 2017 season, to have settled comfortably in a place quite near his long-ago projected role: Baseball America reports in 2010 and 2011 pegged him as a “number 3 or four” and “number four” starter, respectively, and the lefty’s minor league performance did little to discredit that view. Acquired from the Angels in a 2010 deadline deal that sent Dan Haren to Los Angeles, Corbin was a secondary piece in the return headlined by former top prospect Tyler Skaggs. The slider-slinging lefty did offer a quality 2013 season, posting an ERA/FIP/xFIP all between 3.40 and 3.50, but the performance coincided with a near all-time offensive low across the league – his park- and league-adjusted xFIP that year, after all, was just eight percent better than league average.

There were more stumbles to follow. A partial-year renaissance in 2015 was followed, in the middle of the next season, by a demotion to the bullpen; despite a career-high 53% ground-ball rate, Corbin’s walk rate ballooned to near four per nine, and he was too often bit by the long ball. Heavier slider use ushered in another rebound in 2017, but shades of last year’s dominance were still scarce: at the conclusion of that season, Patrick Corbin had, in 745 innings pitched, vindicated the scouts’ reports, offering up a perfectly harmonious 97 ERA-/97 FIP-, three percent better than the league average. ZiPS projected to hurler to be slightly better in the 2018 season, pegging him for a 94 ERA-/95 FIP- in the newly-humidor-scarred Chase Field.

So what, then, will teams make of the innings-eater-turned-ace in the new-look pitching environment? Will heavier bullpen dependence suppress the value of starting pitchers across the board? Will teams hold his mostly-middling ways against him, dismissing the recent ascension as outlier? Will the slider-heavy profile give them pause? Or will they double down, certain they’re acquiring a staff-leading ace far into the next decade? And, most notably for this piece, which teams seem mostly likely to fall into the category of the latter?

The Yankees, unsurprisingly, may be his top suitor. Corbin, who was raised outside Syracuse, NY, grew up a Yankee fan: “It would definitely be great to play there,’’ he told Bob Nightengale of the USA Today earlier this year. “I grew up a Yankee fan. My whole family are Yankee fans. My mom, my dad, my grandpa, everybody. Really, every generation of my family has been Yankee fans. Living up in Syracuse, everybody’s a Yankee fan. Not too many Mets fans up there.’’ The Bombers, who recently re-signed C.C. Sabathia for one final year, still face questions in the rotation’s back half, where a disappointing 2018 performance from Sonny Gray has left him squarely on the the block. The fit between the storied franchise and New York native seems an ideal one, especially in a park that rewards left-handed power like few others – Corbin, for his career, has been death on lefties, striking out nearly 31% of them and allowing just 20 total HR, good for a minuscule 2.54 xFIP against. The Yanks, who last year failed to eclipse the luxury-tax threshold for the first time in 15 seasons, seem primed and ready to make their periodic splash, but whether or not a free agent hurler is foremost in their efforts remains to be seen.

Next in line may be the Phillies, whose team ownership has made no attempt to hide its fervent pursuit of the market’s top assets, with principal owner John Middleton noting that the club could be “a little bit stupid about it.” After a systematic payroll reduction over the last few seasons, the Phillies finally re-announced their presence as a major offseason player with last year’s signing of Jake Arrieta, and again seem ready to pounce in the more bountiful class of 2018-’19. The rotation, which in ’18 had one of the league’s widest ERA-FIP gaps, likely due in large measure to the shoddy left-side defense of Rhys Hoskins, Maikel Franco, and Scott Kingery, is chock-full of controllable arms with significant upside, and posted sterling peripherals as a whole last season. Still, uncertainty hovers around the burgeoning careers of righties Nick Pivetta and Vince Velasquez, each of whom turned a second straight season of poor performance on the back of encouraging secondary stats, and Zach Eflin, who was downright dreadful in limited big-league action before 2018. With the club’s top pitching prospects at least a couple years away, and money to burn across the diamond, the Fightins may elect to prop up an area of strength as they enter a pivotal 2019.

The Braves could also be a major player here, what with the windfall they’ve received from increased attendance at their new Smyrna, GA, home, and question marks all across the rotation. After Mike Foltynewicz, the organization has little on which it count next season – Kevin Gausman and Julio Teheran sprinted to the big leagues oozing promise, but have been mostly uneven since, and heralded rookie Sean Newcomb again battled the command issues that had so often plagued him in the minors. Touki Toussaint was a nice surprise, but he walked nearly seven men per nine in a brief MLB stint last season, and Calgary-born Mike Soroka spent much of the season’s second half on the shelf. The farm is brimming with starting pitching talent of all types, but none have asserted themselves as MLB-ready for 2019. There’s been little indication from GM Alex Anthopolous that the club is looking to make a major splash, but the up-and-coming Braves seem as good a fit as any for the 29-year-old Corbin, should the team decide to move in that direction.

The Astros, perhaps set to lose Dallas Keuchel and Charlie Morton to free agency, could also be a factor. Both Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are free-agents-to-be following the 2019 season, Lance McCullers Jr. just underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the ’19 season, and the club’s glut of upper-level starting pitching depth has dwindled in recent years. With GM Jeff Luhnow announcing that the club will move Collin McHugh back to the rotation, two spots are still in flux. Luhnow seemed cryptic when asked about a possible increase in the 2019 payroll, but with so many rotation question marks in the years to come, a top-level arm would seem an ideal fit for the 2017 champions.

The Nationals, who’ve seen a once-historic rotation dwindle to just Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and possible non-tender candidate Tanner Roark, plus a series of who-knows and could-bes, also have the money and the need, should the club decide to pivot away from Bryce Harper. Still, with a whopping $245MM combined owed to Scherzer and Strasburg over the life of their deals, signing another high-priced starter would seem exceedingly unlikely.

Other teams, like the Dodgers, Twins, Giants, and Angels could be in play, to a lesser degree. Los Angeles has the money, of course, but has been loath to shell it out to a high-priced free agent from outside the organization under GM Andrew Friedman’s watch, and the club is already stocked with quality left-handed arms. The Twins have stripped their payroll to nearly nothing in recent years, but still have a bevy of intriguing rotation options and numerous holes on the offensive side. The Giants, of course, had the league’s highest payroll last season, but still owe over $120MM combined to Jeff Samardzija and Johnny Cueto, and don’t figure to be players in the offseason starting pitching market. The Angels, devoid now of anything resembling a top-end arm after Shohei Ohtani’s Tommy John surgery, could be a background lurker, though the club is still saddled with Albert Pujols’ albatross for another three seasons and may find other needs more urgent.

]]>Atlanta BravesHouston AstrosNew York YankeesPatrick CorbinPhiladelphia PhilliesWashington NationalsTy Bradleyhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/poll-which-team-will-sign-patrick-corbin.htmlRangers To Sign Jeff Mathishttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/v8Q_lotwGUo/rangers-to-sign-jeff-mathis.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:9cbd2a6f-d10c-fe00-78f7-162f7766849dSat, 17 Nov 2018 20:31:24 +0000Nov. 17, 2:29 PM: Although official details are still unavailable, Jon Heyman of FanCred tweets that the total value will exceed that of Mathis&#8217; previous deal with Arizona, which guaranteed him $4MM from 2017-&#8217;18. Nov. 15, 7:50 PM: The Rangers have agreed to a contract (pending physical) with free agent catcher Jeff Mathis, according to Ken Rosenthal&#8230;Nov. 17, 2:29 PM: Although official details are still unavailable, Jon Heyman of FanCred tweets that the total value will exceed that of Mathis’ previous deal with Arizona, which guaranteed him $4MM from 2017-’18.

Nov. 15, 7:50 PM: The Rangers have agreed to a contract (pending physical) with free agent catcher Jeff Mathis, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). It’s said to be a two-year deal for the veteran receiver, with financial details not yet known.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way up front: Mathis is already 35 years of age and he’s an exceedingly unproductive hitter. Of course, even when he was 25 the deficiencies with the bat were well known. Over his 14-year MLB career, Mathis has rarely wavered too far from the anemic .198/.258/.306 mean batting line he has produced through 2,694 trips to the plate.

For virtually any other player, that sort of accumulation of statistics would not even be possible, simply because the opportunity would dry up. Mathis, though, is a rare bird. Not only is he still at the top of the class in many of the measurable tools of the trade, but he’s also regarded as a game-management savant.

Mathis just wrapped up a two-year pact with the Diamondbacks that promised him $2MM annually. For their money, the Snakes got 129 total games and just under 1,000 total innings behind the plate (plus three at second base and one on the hill).

During his time in Arizona, Mathis carried a 48 OPS+ that sits just shy of his lifetime 52 OPS+ mark. He also turned in a masterful 2018 pitch-framing effort, scored better than anyone but Tucker Barnhart at smothering balls in the dirt, and graded as average in controlling the running game. With his famed pitcher-whispering abilities mixed in, it’s eminently arguable that Mathis is the game’s best defender behind the dish — which, in fact, was the assessment of Sports Info Solutions (Twitter link).

For the Rangers, this move comes after the club rather surprisingly chose to bid adieu to Robinson Chirinos. The club chose to pay him a $1MM buyout rather than picking up his option for $4.5MM, an outwardly reasonable sum for the 34-year-old. Chirinos has steadily produced league-average-or-better offensive numbers over recent years but is not valued nearly so much for his efforts behind the dish. In particular, Chirinos received quite poor grades for his throwing and framing in 2018.

While Chirinos is reputedly a valued clubhouse leader, he evidently did not impress the team quite as much in squeezing value from the pitching staff. That’ll be the chief duty of Mathis, who’ll presumably see a fair bit of action and take a leading role in guiding a still-largely-undetermined group of hurlers. He could be paired with (and teach the dark arts to) Jose Trevino, utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and/or minor-league signee Jett Bandy, though the Rangers could still add options to the mix.

]]>Jeff MathisNewsstandTexas RangersTransactionsJeff Toddhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/rangers-to-sign-jeff-mathis.htmlQuick Hits: Stroman, Goldschmidt, Orioles, Marinershttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/FreFhfz_S0k/quick-hits-stroman-goldschmidt-orioles-mariners.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:1426674e-4f66-717f-4b84-046006678963Sat, 17 Nov 2018 18:28:56 +0000The Toronto Blue Jays have not had any serious trade discussions regarding staff ace Marcus Stroman, per the MLB Network&#8217;s Jon Morosi (via Twitter). That does not mean, however, that teams haven&#8217;t asked. The Reds, in particular, are one team with noted interest in the Jays&#8217; right-hander. This shouldn&#8217;t surprise anyone, as the Reds have&#8230;The Toronto Blue Jays have not had any serious trade discussions regarding staff ace Marcus Stroman, per the MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (via Twitter). That does not mean, however, that teams haven’t asked. The Reds, in particular, are one team with noted interest in the Jays’ right-hander. This shouldn’t surprise anyone, as the Reds have a well-documented mandate to add pitching this winter. For the Jays, to move Stroman now would definitely be selling low. Coming off back-to-back 200-inning efforts in 2016 and 2017, Stroman labored through only 102 1/3 innings in 2018, with 6.8 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 5.54 ERA in nineteen starts. He twice went on the disabled list, including a six-week stint for shoulder fatigue in May. As the winter action continues to wind up, keep warm with some quick hits from around the league…

Yesterday’s report that the Diamondbacks were “aggressively shopping” ace Zack Greinke speaks to the current challenge facing Arizona GM Mike Hazen. The greater existential hurdle that Hazen needs to clear this winter is the question of whether to trade star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan portends Hazen’s future through the eyes of two men who have been there before: Pirates GM Neal Huntington and Royals GM Dayton Moore, each of whom faced a similar crisis point for their respective franchises. What makes the Diamondbacks situation unique, of course, is both the quality of their star and the quality of their competition. With current juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers firmly atop the division, and the best farm system in baseball lurking in San Diego, the Diamondbacks have a tough row to hoe no matter which route they take. The consensus “smart baseball move” is to trade him, but there’s more than just baseball to consider in trading a club icon as locally popular as Goldschmidt. No doubt Hazen is staring down the decision that will define his tenure in Arizona.

This Tuesday, November 20th is the deadline for teams to set their 40-man rosters ahead of the Rule 5 draft in December. That doesn’t give new Orioles GM Mike Elias a ton of time to acclimate himself to the Orioles’ farm system. While other teams are finalizing the decisions they’ve had months to ponder, Elias will have to hit the ground running with deadline decisions to clean up his 40-man roster. It’s likely the Orioles will make at least one selection in December’s upcoming draft – which requires opening up a spot on the currently-full 40-man roster. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com takes a look at some of the players that could be on the chopping block. Veteran backstop Caleb Joseph is one DFA candidate, as is injury-prone catcher Andrew Susac. It should be noted, Elias has until November 30th to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players, giving Elias some extra time to decide on a player like shortstop Tim Beckham. The urgency before Tuesday is in protecting anyone likely to be poached by another organization, such as right-hander Dillon Tate, catcher Martin Cervenka or left-handed pitcher Luis Gonzalez. Tate is the likeliest of the bunch to be protected, as the Orioles probably won’t want to risk losing the 24-year-old just a few months after acquiring him from the Yankees in the Zach Britton trade.

Seattle team chairman and CEO John Stanton sent an email to Mariners’ employees on Friday regarding the recent allegations brought against the team by former employee Dr. Lorena Martin, per the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. In the letter, Stanton calls the allegations “disturbing” and “totally unexpected,” while also claiming progress “in reshaping our organization’s culture.” Nevertheless, an internal investigation conducted by the team’s human resources and legal departments determined Martin’s allegations to be unfounded. The MLB is conducting their own investigation into the matter, which is still pending.

After spending parts of two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Blue Jays acquired Diaz for minor-league outfielder J.B. Woodman prior to 2018. He is a career .275/.325/.458 hitter – good for a slightly above-average 108 wRC+. Diaz saw regular action in Toronto this season, slashing .263/.303/.453 with 18 home runs (1.6 fWAR) while keeping the seat warm for prospects Richard Urena and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Though primarily a shortstop, the Astros likely see Diaz, 28, as a more versatile contributor – potential insurance for likely-departed utility man Marwin Gonzalez. Defensive metrics, however, do not look kindly upon Diaz’s performance at short (-9 DRS, -2.2 UZR in 2018), as he has yet to record a positive rating in either defensive runs saved or ultimate zone rating in his three seasons at the big-league level. Yuli Gurriel stands to take on some of the extra responsibilities around the diamond as well, but Diaz represents a low-cost alternative – he will not be eligible for arbitration until after the 2019 season at the earliest.

“He’s got some versatility, got some power and can do a lot of things. It seems like it’s an opportunity for us to improve our team. We’re dipping into prospect depth, but one area we probably have some surplus, it’s in the upper-level pitching area.”

The Blue Jays stand to benefit from that surplus with the acquisition of Thornton. Though not a top prospect by any means, the 25-year-old Thornton ranked 24th on MLB.com’s midseason rankings of Houston’s farm system. Since the Astros selected him in the 5th round of the 2015 draft, Thornton has steadily climbed the ranks of Houston’s minor league system, reaching their top affiliate in 2017. Over 124 1/3 innings, he had a 4.42 ERA (3.93 xFIP) with 8.83 K/9 and 2.24 BB/9 while pitching with Triple-A Fresno for the entirety of 2018.

With either Urena or Gurriel ready to take over at short, the Blue Jays did a nice job here of turning their middle infield depth into an MLB-ready arm. Thornton has not yet appeared in the majors, though the Jays will add him to their 40-man roster, per Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith (via Twitter). The rebuilding Blue Jays get all six years of Thornton’s team control in exchange for four years of Diaz.

Also – no pressure on Feslen and Pete but no one has had positive numbers in three consecutive weeks! We could see Beat the Streak records here.

Idiom of the week: Act the giddy goat: Behave Foolishly

History: The phrase ‘act the giddy goat’ (or ‘play the giddy goat’) wasn’t coined from scratch but was built up by degrees from earlier phrases. ‘Giddy’ has been used to mean foolish or stupid since the first millennium and has been applied as an adjective to all sorts of creatures.

Ex: My picks have me wondering if my prep is acting the giddy goat.

]]>Mark Abellhttps://www.faketeams.com/2018/11/17/18099405/beat-the-spread-challenge-week-112019 Sleeper Spotlight: Now In Cleveland, Could Jordan Luplow Emerge As A Viable Option?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/bq0OvZ7cJ5k/
Rotoprofessorurn:uuid:f22d2c4b-bf46-1737-2a50-1d05580d506dSat, 17 Nov 2018 11:15:45 +0000by Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor) The Cleveland Indians always appear to be short on outfielders, and with Michael Brantley set to leave via free agency things got that much thinner. As of today the team’s starting trio appears to be Tyler Naquin, Leonys Martinby Eric Stashin (aka The Rotoprofessor)

The Cleveland Indians always appear to be short on outfielders, and with Michael Brantley set to leave via free agency things got that much thinner. As of today the team’s starting trio appears to be Tyler Naquin, Leonys Martin and Greg Allen, though Jason Kipnis (a trade candidate) has experience out there and Bradley Zimmer and Oscar Mercado are waiting at Triple-A and could make an impact…

None of those options would get anyone overly excited, despite there being some upside, so seeing Cleveland add multiple pieces to the mix is a given this offseason. They made their first strike earlier this week, though the addition of Jordan Luplow could been seen as “just another piece” and it’s easy to lose him in the shuffle.

Luplow has been buried among Pittsburgh’s depth in the outfield and when he’s gotten an opportunity the results have been less than stellar:

.194 (33-170), 6 HR, 18 RBI, 22 R, 2 SB

The 25-year old spent the bulk of his time at Triple-A (314 AB) and the results were far better, hitting .287 with 8 HR and 7 SB. He also added 25 doubles and 3 triples showing that there’s power potential in his bat, something that he’s shown before. Just look at the HR/FB over the past two seasons in the minors:

2017 – 18.1%

2018 – 7.3%

That’s a key, especially as he showed a solid approach at both of the levels he played in ’18. At Triple-A he posted a 9.8% SwStr%, a number he nearly matched in the Majors (9.6% SwStr%) while also staying inside the strike zone (26.1% O-Swing%, 26.0% over his Major League career).

Suddenly we are looking at a player with a strong approach and power that could develop. That was the type of player that has always been expected of him, as MLB.com described him by saying the following prior to 2017:

Luplow is starting to show the bat the Pirates liked coming out of that 2014 Draft. He has the chance to hit for a decent average, and he continues to work on his on-base ability and plate discipline as an asset. There’s some gap power there, with some home run pop still developing, and has shown that he can be a run producer.

That’s not to say that there aren’t questions, as you can argue that there’s the risk of a suppressed BABIP due to a pull heavy approach (51.6% Pull% at Triple-A) making him susceptible to shifts. That’s a fair concern, though not one that’s crippling. As of today the upside is there to profile as a .270ish hitter with 20-25 HR, and considering the alternatives that has value.

While Luplow isn’t guaranteed a starting role, the potential is there and if he gets the shot he easily could surprise. Those in shallower leagues aren’t going to need to make a move, just monitor him closely, but in deeper formats he’s an ideal sleeper to target.

Sources – Fangraphs, MLB.com, MILB.com

** PRE-ORDER SALE **Pre-order Rotoprofessor’s 2018 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide for just $6.75!! Click here for the details, but don’t miss out on the best bargain in fantasy baseball preparation.

]]>Player AnalysisRotoprofessorhttp://rotoprofessor.com/baseball/?p=37580Prospect Podcast: The Return Of Emily Waldonhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/YTch2n80oLs/
Fantasy Baseball Blog at Razzball.comurn:uuid:180ba6d8-edbc-25d5-61b3-23da1d2b87b9Sat, 17 Nov 2018 08:01:03 +0000On Saturday Night my phone rang, my cellphone obviously I'm not a dinosaur. I quickly looked at my screen noticing it was Lance. This was unusual because Lance usually texts me. I feared the worst, perhaps Lance was kidnapped by a street gang and held for ransom. Was he lost? Cold? Did he forget his Keys IN CONNECTICUT?!? I put aside my panic for a moment and decided to answer it. **Deep breath** "Hey Lance, what's up?" "WE HAVE EMILY COMING BACK THIS WEEK". Lance then hung up and immediately texted me the rundown of his day like a normal person. Phone calls are for weirdos. Long story short, Emily Waldon of The Athletic Detroit and The Athletic MLB, joins us to talk some Arizona Fall League, Tigers Prospects, and some recent interviews she did with AA catcher Jake Rogers and AA outfielder Daz Cameron. (Yes, that's Mike's son.) It's another episode of rapid fire minor league takes. I wouldn't go that far but we talk a lot of players. It's the Razzball Prospect Podcast powered by ProspectsLive.com. As always make sure you stop by <a href="https://rotowear.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rotowear.com</a>, and support our sponsor by picking up some of the freshest T-shirts out there.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rotofeed/~4/YTch2n80oLs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>All PodcastsProspect PodcastBuddy ReedDaz CameronJahmai JonesJake RogersLuis RobertNico HoernerTaylor TrammellRalph Lifshitzhttps://razzball.com/prospect-podcast-the-return-of-emily-waldon/Coaching Notes: Rangers, Twins, Rockies, Jays, Phillieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/q1XVuQpzKqo/coaching-notes-rangers-twins-rockies-jays-phillies.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:0a34e951-092e-8f47-892c-b56765ff2ee4Sat, 17 Nov 2018 05:00:14 +0000Many teams are putting the finishing touches on their coaching staffs, though there are still some openings. Here are the latest moves: The Rangers announced that they have hired Julio Rangel as their new pitching coach. He&#8217;ll come over from the Giants organization, where he had served as the minor-league pitching coordinator. The 43-year-old Rangel also&#8230;Many teams are putting the finishing touches on their coaching staffs, though there are still some openings. Here are the latest moves:

The Rangers announced that they have hired Julio Rangel as their new pitching coach. He’ll come over from the Giants organization, where he had served as the minor-league pitching coordinator. The 43-year-old Rangel also spent 11 years in the Indians system but has never previously worked at the MLB level as a player or coach.

Rounding out their staff under new skipper Rocco Baldelli, the Twins announced the additions of third-base coach Tony Diaz and first-base coach Tommy Watkins. The 31-year-old Diaz comes over from the Rockies, while Watkins is moving up from a minor-league managerial role in the Minnesota system. Yesterday, the club finalized deals with its coaches dedicated to pitching.

Also departing the Rockies will be hitting coach Duane Espy, the club announced. It’s not clear what the team’s plans are in this area. For the time being, at least, assistant hitting coach Jeff Salazar is evidently remaining in his role.

The Blue Jays will hire Guillermo Martinez to become their new hitting coach, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. Martinez is just 34 years of age, but obviously made quite an impression in his first year as minor-league hitting coordinator in Toronto. He played professionally but never reached the majors. Previously, Martinez coached in the minors with the Jays and Cubs.

To complete their staff, the Phillies announced, they’ll install Dave Lundquist as assistant pitching coach. He was most recently the organization’s Triple-A pitching coach, so this was a natural profession. The former big leaguer has worked his way up the chain in the Philadelphia organization since landing there in 2008.

]]>Colorado RockiesJeff SalazarMinnesota TwinsPhiladelphia PhilliesTexas RangersToronto Blue JaysJeff Toddhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/coaching-notes-rangers-twins-rockies-jays-phillies.htmlOffseason Outlook: San Diego Padreshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/U_vdm2OYH58/offseason-outlook-san-diego-padres-10.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:9b4e0bc6-c33d-aee9-9c03-aab61372aee8Sat, 17 Nov 2018 02:48:29 +0000MLBTR is publishing Offseason Outlooks for all 30 teams. Click here to read the other entries in this series. The Padres&#8217; were in full rebuild mode by mid-2016, having dealt away any veteran players with value by that year&#8217;s trade deadline. Immediate help was not on the way. In fact, it was nowhere close if it&#8230;MLBTR is publishing Offseason Outlooks for all 30 teams. Click here to read the other entries in this series.

The Padres’ were in full rebuild mode by mid-2016, having dealt away any veteran players with value by that year’s trade deadline. Immediate help was not on the way. In fact, it was nowhere close if it even existed. General manager A.J. Preller was going to have his opportunity to build his team from the ground up. Two-and-a-half years later, the Padres have, arguably, the best farm system in baseball and are looking to become legitimate playoff contenders in the next year or two.

Preller is now tasked with putting together a Major League roster that can at least break .500 in 2019 while staying in contention past July 31st. That would be a major step forward for a franchise that has not had a winning season since 2010. The 2018 Philadelphia Phillies, who improved by 14 games from the previous season and didn’t fall out of the pennant race until mid-September, would be a good comparison for what success would look like at the minimum. Matching what the Atlanta Braves did—an 18-game improvement and division championship—would be quite a bit more challenging and represents something like the best-case scenario. Preller’s offseason, which should be very eventful, will have a major effect on whether the team can become a perennial playoff contender and how quickly they can get there.

With the waves of young and inexpensive talent expected to arrive in San Diego over the next few seasons, the Padres should have the ability to add multiple impact players with high price tags in preparation for their next playoff run. Eric Hosmer, signed last offseason, was the first significant piece. Adding a frontline starting pitcher and either a third baseman or shortstop prior to the 2020 season would appear to be the next big priorities. It’s possible that they will check one or both off of the list as early as the current offseason.

Preller’s first line of business, however, could be to determine how to best sort out the crowded outfield situation. With only Wil Myers guaranteed a spot on the 25-man roster — barring a trade, at least — and everyone else having Minor League options, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. But, assuming that Myers’ third base experiment is over, the Padres have six outfielders and not one of them belongs in Triple-A.

It could take some creativity on Preller’s part, but Myers is certainly a trade candidate. Although he’s due to make just $3MM in 2019, he’ll make $20MM annually over the next three seasons. That normally wouldn’t be a lot for a former Rookie of the Year who averaged 29 homers and 24 stolen bases in his ages 25-26 seasons, can play multiple positions and is still only 27 years old. But he’s been injury-plagued throughout his career and his overall numbers have been underwhelming for a player who fits best at a corner outfield spot.

Hunter Renfroe (.805 OPS, 15.5 AB/HR) and Franmil Reyes (.838 OPS, 16.3 AB/HR) were each particularly impressive in 2018, making them attractive trade targets for a team hoping to add some legitimate right-handed power to their lineup. Travis Jankowski could be a useful reserve and should draw some interest. Manuel Margot andFranchy Cordero, on the other hand, are much less likely to be traded. Margot’s value is down after he struggled in 2018 and he’s too talented for the Padres to sell low on him. The left-handed hitting Cordero missed most of last season due to an elbow injury, keeping him somewhat of an unknown commodity. But, in any case, the Padres will want to hold on to a 24-year-old with 30 home run and 30 stolen base potential.

Hosmer was a disappointment in his first season with the club, but maybe it shouldn’t have been all that unexpected. After a solid rookie season in 2011, he had his worst season as a pro in 2012. He bounced back in 2013 before struggling again in 2014. He had a very good 2015 season, which ended with a World Series championship. His numbers dipped slightly in 2016 and then he was at his best in 2017 (.882 OPS, 25 HR). Not that the Padres were expecting eight years of the 2017 version, but it’s safe to say that he wasn’t nearly as productive as they had hoped in his debut. It’s probable that he’ll continue to be up and down as he was with the Royals while delivering a couple of higher-output seasons somewhere in between.

Other than Hosmer at first base, catcher Austin Hedges is the only other position player who is all but assured to be in the Padres’ Opening Day starting lineup. Acquiring the best catching prospect in baseball, Francisco Mejia, last July has done nothing to change that. Hedges’ defense and leadership ability are much too valuable for a team that will continue to rely so much on young pitching. If the Padres believe that the 23-year-old Mejia is ready for the Majors in 2019, it could make sense to pair him with Hedges, who could be a strong mentor despite his age (26) and lack of MLB experience (2.166 days). Both players have a long ways to go to prove themselves offensively at the MLB level, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that the duo could combine for over 25 homers per season. Of course, Mejia could also be a valuable trade chip and could headline a major deal this offseason. He could also spend some more time in Triple-A. In either of those cases, the Padres would have to bring in a veteran backup to give Hedges an occasional day off. Free agent A.J. Ellis was terrific in that role last season.

While Reyes made plenty of noise during his rookie season, his contributions were somewhat of a surprise. Luis Urias’ debut in late August, however, marked the arrival of one of the organization’s highest-profile prospects. The 21-year-old had a handful of big games, but didn’t have much time to establish himself before a season-ending hamstring injury. Expected to be the team’s second baseman for years to come once he arrived in the Majors, Urias could temporarily slide over to shortstop depending on how things go this offseason.

With top prospect Fernando Tatis Jr. closing in on the Majors, the expectation is that the Padres will either add a stop-gap or long-term solution at shortstop or third base. If shortstop is not addressed, Urias could play there until Tatis is ready to step in. If the Padres add a long-term solution at the position, Urias would stay at second base and Tatis would prepare to be the team’s third baseman of the near future. Other players who could figure into the mix in some way or another are Christian Villanueva, who crushed left-handed pitching in 2018 (1.118 OPS, 14 HR) but was awful versus right-handers, Carlos Asuaje, Jose Pirela and Cory Spangenberg. The latter trio is on the bubble to remain on the 40-man roster.

Free agent targets at third base could include another former Royals star, Mike Moustakas, or veterans Asdrubal Cabrera, Josh Donaldson, Josh Harrison and Jed Lowrie. Only the 30-year-old Moustakas would appear to fit the team as a potential long-term solution if the Padres were willing to offer him a contract for at least three or four years. A run at Donaldson, whether on a pillow contract or multi-year deal, could be an interesting high-upside possibility if the Padres decide to make a push.

With multiple big-market teams expected to be involved in the bidding, Manny Machado is probably a long shot. But if last offseason was any indication, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the Padres got involved on some level. As was the case with Hosmer, they could make a competitive offer early on and then wait for him to circle back if he doesn’t receive a better one. Unless Machado’s stock has dropped dramatically, though, that is not likely to happen.

Of the free agent shortstops, none other than Machado would be expected to sign for more than one or two seasons. Freddy Galvis, who the team raved about during his lone season in San Diego, could return on an affordable multi-year deal with the expectation that he’d move into a utility role once Tatis reached the Majors. Alcides Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Jose Iglesias and Jordy Mercer are stop-gap options who would likely cost much less than the $6.8MM that Galvis earned in 2018.

If the Padres are to make a splash this offseason, it would most likely come via trade. Their farm system is good enough to get most any player that is available. Would Cleveland tradeJose Ramirez? Probably not this offseason. Even if they end up trading one of their best pitchers, the Indians are still the class of the AL Central. Eugenio Suarez would be a great fit at the hot corner, but the Reds are also looking to take the next step forward in their rebuild and wouldn’t want to trade one of their best hitters unless the return was not only compelling, but including some quality MLB assets. A three-team scenario involving Miguel Andujar of the Yankees is perhaps not unimaginable. (It’d be complicated, but so was the swap that brought Myers to San Diego.)

One very controversial option would be a buy-low acquisition of Cubs shortstop Addison Russell, who will miss the first month of the season while serving out a 40-game suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. Last month’s release of lefty reliever Jose Torres, however,could be an indication that the Padres aren’t interested in a player with that kind of baggage. After a strong rookie season in 2017 (4.21 ERA, 8.3 K/9 in 62 appearances), Torres spent 2018 on the Restricted list while serving a 100-game suspension under the MLB/MLBPA joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and ]]>

2018-19 Offseason OutlookMLBTR OriginalsSan Diego PadresJason Martinezhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/offseason-outlook-san-diego-padres-10.htmlPhillies Anticipate Major Spending, Says Owner John Middletonhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/JbzWqHPwmlk/phillies-anticipate-major-spending-says-owner-john-middleton.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:d0f6268f-4f65-513f-4450-bc6517b7edb9Sat, 17 Nov 2018 00:52:05 +0000The Phillies entered the winter widely tabbed as the most obvious aggressor on the free-agent market. It has been known for years, after all, that the organization was stripping its payroll and building its prospect base in hopes of launching back into a powerhouse. Perhaps, then, it shouldn&#8217;t be too surprising that Philadelphia owner John&#8230;The Phillies entered the winter widely tabbed as the most obvious aggressor on the free-agent market. It has been known for years, after all, that the organization was stripping its payroll and building its prospect base in hopes of launching back into a powerhouse.

“We’re going into this expecting to spend money. And maybe even be a little bit stupid about it. We just prefer not to be completely stupid.”

Whether those surprisingly forthcoming words portend a true spending bonanza isn’t quite clear. But they surely suggest that the Phillies aren’t afraid of a bidding war and are open — willing, even — to go a bit outside their comfort zone to win one, at least for the right player.

This long-anticipated free-agent class may not quite have arrived with the expected hype, but it’s still laden with opportunities. And the Phils have both the need and the means to chase the market’s biggest names: Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, of course, but also perhaps quality players such as Patrick Corbin, Craig Kimbrel, and Yasmani Grandal.

As Middleton rightly assesses, the Phillies clearly have “lots of ways to go to improve” a roster that has some valuable assets but relatively little in the way of established stars. That only makes things more interesting. Big-name acquisitions would likely also be followed by trades of current Philadelphia players, increasing the intrigue and ramping up the overall market entropy.

Clearly, it’s a high-stakes winter for a ballclub that sees an opportunity to make major strides. With Middleton expressing excitement at the prospect of unleashing the organization’s financial might, there’s every reason to believe that the Phillies will function as a market driver.

]]>Philadelphia PhilliesJeff Toddhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/phillies-anticipate-major-spending-says-owner-john-middleton.htmlThe Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 616 – Happy Birthday, Justin!!!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/3Zv-QZ3llkQ/
Podcast – FanGraphs Fantasy Baseballurn:uuid:644e8ac5-bab8-6870-2413-289d50b1f6f6Fri, 16 Nov 2018 23:59:27 +0000It's Justin's birthday and we celebrate by discussing his team in the PitcherList mock and then dive into a group of pitchers from the backend of my Top 100 SP ranks.11/16/18

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is brought to you by Out of the Park Baseball 19, the best baseball strategy game ever made – available NOW on PC, Mac, and Linux platforms! Go to ootpdevelopments.com to order now and save 10% with the code SLEEPER19!

As usual, don’t hesitate to tweet us or comment with fantasy questions.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via the feed. Please rate & review the show in iTunes letting us know what you think!

Approximately 83 minutes of joyous analysis.

]]>FeaturedMock Draft AnalysisPodcastPaul Sporerhttps://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/the-sleeper-and-the-bust-episode-616-happy-birthday-justin/http://media.blubrry.com/rotographs/cdn.fangraphs.com/audio/RotoGraphs-Audio-11-16-2018.mp3Angels To Sign Peter Bourjoshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/XLJ80h_hJ5w/angels-to-sign-peter-bourjos.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:b8ef8ba7-f2b7-bab5-70ef-70dbacab46e2Fri, 16 Nov 2018 23:20:15 +0000The Angels have struck a deal to bring outfielder Peter Bourjos back to the organization, MLBTR&#8217;s Steve Adams reports on Twitter. It&#8217;ll be a minor-league pact for the 31-year-old. Bourjos has seen action in each of the past nine MLB campaigns, the first four of those coming in Los Angeles. He has yet to produce&#8230;The Angels have struck a deal to bring outfielder Peter Bourjos back to the organization, MLBTR’s Steve Adams reports on Twitter. It’ll be a minor-league pact for the 31-year-old.

Bourjos has seen action in each of the past nine MLB campaigns, the first four of those coming in Los Angeles. He has yet to produce anything approaching his exciting 2011 season, when he posted a .271/.327/.438 slash with a dozen homers and 22 steals while playing excellent center field defense for the Halos.

More recently, Bourjos has functioned in a part-time role. He still appeared in over 100 games annually in each of the four seasons following his departure from the Angels, but hasn’t shown much at the plate and struggled to gain opportunities in 2018. All told, Bourjos carries only a .229/.286/.366 with other organizations.

Bourjos did post strong numbers last year against Triple-A pitching with the Giants and Braves organizations. And he’ll figure to have at least a shot at earning a big-league job out of camp — at least, that is, supposing the Halos don’t make any other signings in the interim. The club is in need of a right-handed-hitting fourth outfielder to share some time with Kole Calhoun.

]]>Los Angeles AngelsPeter BourjosTransactionsJeff Toddhttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/angels-to-sign-peter-bourjos.htmlRed Sox Re-Sign Steve Pearcehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/rotofeed/~3/RIdWReasM7Y/red-sox-to-re-sign-steve-pearce.html
MLB Trade Rumorsurn:uuid:94524cdc-e949-3c49-7d7f-77acaa8cf4acFri, 16 Nov 2018 22:20:27 +0000The Red Sox have announced a deal to keep Steve Pearce in Boston, as Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported (via Twitter). It&#8217;s said to be a one-year, $6.25MM pact. More to come &#8230;The Red Sox have announced a deal to keep Steve Pearce in Boston, as Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported (via Twitter). It’s said to be a one-year, $6.25MM pact.